The Dujiangyan Irrigation System

The Dujiangyan Irrigation System lies on the Minjiang River in the northwest of Dujiangyan City, 60 kilometers northwest of Chengdu City. It was built over 2,200 years ago around 250 B.C. under the direction of Libing, the governor of the Shu Prefecture of the Qin State.

The Minjiang River running across the vast Chengdu Plain used to do harm to the people down the river in the ancient times. After making careful survey on the spot Li Bing had a channel cut through Mountain Yulei in the west of the city, thus a man-made river came into existence. In the middle of the Minjiang River, a dyke was built to divide the river into two parts: the inner river and the outer river. In order to control flood and charge silt, two spillways were built at the end of water-dividing dyke. Since then there has been a gravity irrigation system which makes the Chengdu Plain a “Land of Abundance” with a bumper harvest every year in spite of any drought or flood.

Over two thousand years, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System has been bringing great benefits to agricultural production and the people's life. The irrigated area has expanded gradually from 126,000 hectares to nearly 660,000 hectares of land, covering 36 counties and cities.

the Dujiangyan Irrigation System mainly consists of Yuzui Dyke, Feishayan and Baopingkou Infall. There are attractions such as Erwang Temple, Fulong Taoist Temple and Anlan Suspension Bridge deside the weir.

Publishes at : 07-08-11 20:33

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