Dujiangyan Irrigation Project

The Dujiang Irrigation Project is located near the town of Guanxian on the upper reaches of the Minjiang River, 59 kilometers west of Chengdu City. In order to prevent catastrophic flooding, this project was constructed by the Shu Prefecture leader Li Bing in the Warring States Period (475-221BC) during the reign of King Zhaowang of the Qin State. Therefore, the Dujiang Irrigation Project is a great water conservancy project in ancient China.

The whole complex is made up of the ''Fish's Jaws'' (Yuzhui), ''Flying Sands'' (Feisha Yan) and the ''Neck of the Precious Bottle'' (Baoping Kou). Yuzui is a watershed built in the middle of the river to divide the surging Minjiang River into two parts: the inner river and outer river. Feisha Yan plays a role in discharging floodwater, removing sand and modulating water quality. Baoping Kou is the entrance of the inner river canal. It is narrow so that the amount of water inflow is controlled.

The Dujiang Irrigation Project divides the Minjiang River into two parts, guiding part of water to Jintang in the east, so that the southern plain can avoid floods, and the northern can keep away from drought. The project helps well irrigate the Chengdu Plain and makes waterway transportation more convenient.

This ingenious system has meant that the Minjian has never again flooded its banks during the last 2200 years, and the Chengdu Plain of central Sichuan has become one of China's most fertile regions.