Dujiangyan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dujiangyan (Chinese: 都江堰; pinyin: Dū Jiāng Yàn) is a city located in the central part of the Sichuan Province in China. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System, located in the northwestern area of the city, is famous for still providing neighboring major city Chengdu with water even though it was built around 250 BC.

[edit] History

Around 250BC during the Warring States Period (475-221BC), Li Bing, a governor of Shu in the Qin state (present Sichuan Province) with his son directed the construction of Dujiangyan. The governor gave up the old ways of dam building which was simply try to catch the floodwaters. Instead he employed a new method by channeling and dividing the water to harness the Minjiang River. He accomplished this by separating the project in to two main parts: the headwork and the irrigation system. The project effectively put the flooding waters under control. For over two thousand years the whole system has functioned perfectly, serving as not only as flood prevention but also as an immense source for irrigation as well as a means to facilitate shipping and wood drifting. It has contributed greatly to the richness of Chengdu Plain and helps it earn its reputation as "The Land of Abundance".