Ancient Yangtze hydrological site preserved in underwater museum

Baiheliang, or the White Crane Ridge, is a natural stone ridge in the middle of the Yangtze River's Fuling section in Chongqing. It stretches around 1,600 meters, with an average width of 15 meters. It surfaces with the rise and fall of the river and was named for the flocks of white cranes that gather there.

The ancient Chinese carved fish into the stone to measure the water's depth, with inscriptions to record the changes. The site was used from 763 AD to 1963.

Following the launch of the Three Gorges Project, Baiheliang would be permanently submerged. In response, China adopted a non-pressurized vessel in-situ conservation plan, leading to the establishment of the world's first underwater museum in 2009. UNESCO has dubbed it the "first underwater museum without diving".

The Baiheliang Inscriptions and the Raoudha Nilometer in Cairo, Egypt, are currently collaborating on a joint application for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status.