More than 10 automated water cannons were recently installed outside a luxury hotel in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province to prevent the homeless from collecting around the building.  

The devices, timed to spray under a covered sidewalk surrounding the Guangzhou Riverside Hotel every 20 minutes, were set up with the help of urban management officials, also known as chengguan.

The cannons are installed every three meters and are capable of shooting a stream of highly pressurized water over a 150-meter distance, media reported. Most of the homeless have since left the area.

Hotel employees said that some 20 people have sought shelter under the covered walkway since 2002 and have been a source of complaints from guests.

One insider said that some of the people are actually low-income homeowners.

"They rent out their houses to earn some extra cash and sleep outside," said an employee.  

Chengguan claimed that the cannons were a last resort measure.

"We used to try to persuade them to leave. [The cannons] aim to beautify the city," said a department official, adding that the homeless should instead go to the nearby rescue station.