The Dujiangyan Irrigation System is located near the city of Dujiangyan, 60 km northwest of Chengdu's city center, where the Min River flows from the highlands into the Chengdu Plain. It is a 2,300-year-old water diversion project that controls the Min River and channels large amounts of water into the Red Basin for irrigation purposes. The system was constructed between 256 BC and 251 BC under the supervision of Li Bing, an administrator during the Qin dynasty, and his son.
What makes this structure unique is its ability to control water flow without the use of a dam. The key feature of the project is a water-diversion channel, consisting of three main components: Yuzui Dividing Dam (used to divide the water flow), Baopingkou (a sluice gate for water distribution), and Feishayan (an overflow channel).
Alongside the rugged Qingcheng Mountain, located 17 km away, the irrigation system has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Qingchengshan is one of the birthplaces of Daoism. In 143 AD, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Great Master Zhang Daoling arrived at Qingchengshan to propagate Daoism. Since then, the mountain has been regarded as a cradle of Daoism and referred to by Daoists as the "Five-Caverns Heaven."
