A Thousand Years of Wisdom in Controlling Waterways, Chengdu Dujiangyan Waterway System

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The Dujiangyan (都江堰) in the northwest of Chengdu is one of the world's most ancient water facilities, built by the Qin Dynasty's Li Bing (李冰) father and son in the 3rd century BC. It is an innovative structure that simultaneously solves agricultural water, flood prevention, and irrigation by regulating the water course of the Minjiang (岷江) without artificially changing it, following its natural flow.
The core of Dujiangyan lies in three structures: the fish mouth (鱼嘴) that divides the water of the Minjiang (岷江), the flying sand (飞沙堰) that discharges excess water and sand, and the bottle mouth (宝瓶口) that is the entrance to the waterway flowing inland. This system has been in harmony with nature without an artificial dam, and has maintained its function for over 2,000 years, and it still supplies water to the Chengdu Plain today. If you visit the site in person, you can see these three structures with your own eyes, and experience the civil engineering technology and natural view of the time along with the sound of flowing water. It is more than just a historical site, but it has great value as a practical cultural heritage that shows the essence of ancient Chinese science and technology. If you visit it together with the surrounding Yuliu Mountain (玉垒山) and Anlan Bridge (安澜桥), you can enjoy the historical context and scenery at the same time.

Post by 가가린 | May 11, 2025