A human-made cascade

From this perspective, these falls look a bit like a palatial staircase. From high above, they look more like dragon scales, and their human-made origin is evident. Our low angle obscures the bridges and buildings of Huyuan township, one of several scenic villages this brook bisects as it's corralled by water management features like this one. Huyuan is among a great many townships dividing up the vast Chinese municipality of Hangzhou, home to almost 12 million people across 6,500 largely rural square miles.