Four additions take China's irrigation project sites on world heritage list to 46

The Ministry of Water Resources announced on Thursday that four Chinese irrigation projects have been newly designated as World Heritage Irrigation Structures, bringing the country's total to 46.

This designation was announced during the 77th International Executive Council Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage held in Marseille, France, on Wednesday.

The newly recognized sites include the Guangli Canal in Henan province, the Taolai River Oasis Irrigation System in Gansu province, the Huangsha Canal in Jiangxi province and the Longjin ancient dam irrigation project in Fujian province.

Each of these systems showcases unique historical and engineering significance, a media release from the ministry noted.

The Guangli Canal, dating back more than 2,200 years to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), is a large-scale irrigation system that continues to support agriculture in Jiyuan and Jiaozuo in Henan. Its innovative multihead diversion system and sediment separation techniques highlight ancient Chinese engineering prowess.

The Taolai River Oasis Irrigation System, established during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), exemplifies the adaptation of irrigation techniques in arid regions, incorporating extensive tunnels and water distribution systems that sustain more than 63,187 hectares of farmland.

In Jiangxi, the Huangsha Canal, originating in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), demonstrates a low-impact development model with its distributed tiered system of dikes and ponds, efficiently irrigating about 1,333 hectares of farmland and forest.

The Longjin ancient dam in Fujian, with its origins in the Song Dynasty, employs a low dam design that minimizes environmental disruption while maximizing water resource utilization for approximately 1,847 hectares of agricultural land.