Stunning images show crowds standing just inches from huge wave as it bursts through giant dam on China's Yellow River

Despite looking like a scene from a disaster movie, the spectacle is actually a meticulously-planned method of transporting silt

Stunning new images have captured the moment onlookers stood just inches away from a huge wave as it burst through a dam on China's Yellow River.

Despite looking like a scene from a disaster movie, the spectacle is actually a meticulously-planned method of transporting silt, with bystanders at risk of little more than a soaking.

In fact, the large-scale silt-shifting operation has become something of a tourist attraction, drawing large crowds who, umbrellas aloft, watch the waves crash through purpose-built holes in the huge dam.

The system allows around 30 million tonnes of the suspended sediment to be relocated every year, with close to 390 tonnes shifted since operations began in the Luoyang section of the Yellow River 13 years ago.

Video: Sand-washing at giant dam in China