In 2015, images of this flooded subway quickly went viral on Chinese social media. It was the clarity of the water that captured the attention of those who viewed the flood either in person or social media and tv outlets. The water resembled the clarity of a swimming pool – and some thought the water was even more clear than a swimming pool! There were comments in interviews and on thread posts that questioned whether or not the photos were photoshopped. No, they were not.
Some Chinese people offered a theory to explain why Japan’s flood waters were so clean: “Islands have less mud, so of course they’re more immaculate than somewhere with many mountains and rivers. You can’t compare such a different geographical environment to China.”
Interestingly, news reports of a flood typically are focussed on the weather or the damage that had occurred. In this case, the big news was “clearly” the water itself.
