Chengdu adds another world irrigation engineering heritage!
This morning
Convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
International Irrigation and Drainage Committee 76th
International Executive Council Meeting
The 2025 World Irrigation Engineering Heritage List officially announced
my countryHani Terraces in Yuanyang, Yunnan
Jiangsu Jurong Chishan Lake Irrigation Project
Sichuan Pengzhou Sunjiangyan
Beijing Mentougou Yongding River Ancient Canal Irrigation Project
All successfully selected
▲Picture source: CCTV News
01
What is Fengjiangyan?
Winjiangyan is located in Danjingshan Town, Pengzhou City. It is a self-flow irrigation project with mutual assistance between surface water (Winjiang) and groundwater (middle and lower reaches of the Quantang Group). It was founded around 141 BC and 2166 years ago. It is a live specimen of the ancient China's governance paradigm "using water to determine the city".
The living inheritance spans more than two thousand years can find the "source" in an ancient book. "Huayang Guozhi·Shuzhi"">"(Wen Wen) passed through the mouth of the river and irrigated thousands of 700 hectares of rich fields. At that time, the world was peaceful and the people were prosperous."
▲Related records of "Huayang Guozhi·Shuzhi". Image source: Chengdu Square Chronicles
The Shuojiang River originates from Longmen Mountain and is 122 kilometers long. Because of short source and rapid flow, floods and disasters occur frequently. In 145 BC, Wen Weng, the prefect of Shu County, built a weir in Fanshui (now in Danjingshan, Qingjiang). The upper reaches of the river, so that it gathered with Qingjiang, and the lower reaches "Nine Fen of Qingshui" to irrigate the land downstream. The Fanxian area (now Pengzhou and surrounding areas) has since become a fertile land in Tianfu where "water and drought follow people, no famine, and no famine," and there is no famine in the time of the desolation."
By the Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties, the irrigation system of one dam and two rivers was formed; by the Ming and Qing dynasties, the irrigation system of nearly a hundred dams of rivers in the east and west was formed, with the largest irrigation area reaching more than 200,000 mu, nourishing some areas of six counties including Pengxian, Chongning, Guanghan, Shifang, Jintang, Xindu, and Pengzhou has also become one of the main production areas of grain and economic crops in Chengdu. Today, the irrigation area of Huojiangyan has reached about 162,160 mu.
According to the relevant person in charge of Pengzhou City, the existing inheritance system and preservation status of this declaration includeremains of water conservancy projects,Non-water conservancy project remains and intangible cultural heritageIntangible Cultural HeritageThree parts.
▲Picture source: Chengdu Daily
02
The Shijiang River Basin is one of the birthplaces of ancient Shu civilization
As a typical water resource allocation model with mutual assistance between dual water sources, Wujiangyan cleverly utilizes the geographical advantages of high in the northwest and low in the southeast, and adopts the technical method of flat beam water separation to form a "Nine-point" water network vein, solving the situation of uneven water inflow in the river in all seasons and drought in spring and flood in summer; and relying on the advantages of shallow groundwater, more than 300 self-flowing spring ponds were excavated, turning the disadvantages of unstable water sources into advantages; at the same time, pebble arch construction technology was used to divert water from the bottom and farm on the top.
The balanced and stable water source of all seasons is self-evident, and it also highlights the historical and cultural value.
The Yufu mentioned in Yangxiong's "Book of King Shu" is in Pengzhou; the Sanxingdui site is located on the banks of the Mamu River, the mainstream river of the ancient Wujiang River. According to relevant records, the jade, gold, copper and other materials used to make many Sanxingdui artifacts are from the Longmen Mountains.
Today's Shiji River Valley Tourism Zone is a full reflection of the ecological value of Shiji River water control. The good forest valley has nurtured a rich biodiversity. It has two national-level IPs, "national flower" peony and "national treasure" giant panda. It has snow mountains and flowers bloom all year round. It has many well-known tourist attractions such as Danjingshan, Haiwozi Ancient Town, Bailu Music Town, Baoshan Hot Spring Resort, and has become Chengdu's well-deserved "back garden".
▲Picture source: Chengdu Daily
More than two thousand years ago, Dujiangyan emerged with the wisdom of "taking advantage of the snob and adapting to the times". Now, the echo of history has once again stirred up - another ancient water conservancy project spanning more than two thousand years. Following the water control context of Chengdu people, it has been successfully selected as a world irrigation project heritage, adding another brilliant mark across time and space to the endless long scroll of Chinese water conservancy civilization.
