Dujiangyan Irrigation System - An Awesome 2000 Years Old Irrigation System in China

China is full of history and interesting old buildings and architectures. Not only did we enjoy visiting the various scenic spots in China, we particularly enjoyed learning and exploring China’s technological inventions and designs in the ancient time and how the China overcame its many problems faced by its citizens at the time.

Dujiangyan Irrigation System, located on the Minjiang River in the northwest of the Chengdu Plain is on the list of the UNESCO World List. Constructed around 256 BC, this irrigation system has been in use for over 2270 years serving the people of the Chengdu Plain inhabitants and making this part of the land fertile and productive. Therefore, the people around the Dujiangyan region have not experienced any famine or lean years.

We were awed by the engineering designs and beauty of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. An engineer by training and by profession, my husband was totally immersed in learning about the fascinating hydraulic feat of this system.

You have to be present to truly appreciate the scale and the magnificence of the irrigation project. One thing that stood out for me was the natural beauty of this irrigation engineering project. Not only was the system marvelously functional, the area surrounding it was inspiringly beautiful!

We spent a good afternoon strolling around the park, enjoying the scenery, learning about the history and the intricate mechanics of this ancient irrigation system that is still working well and serving its people well in the area. We also appreciated the thought and consideration of the then government officals and enginners for creating a large enchanting park to go with the irrigataion project.

We stopped and enjoyed some snack and teas and climbed to the top of one of the old buildings taking a birds' eyeview of this beautiful area. So glad we visited this UNESCO site and discovered the great engineering feat that was done over 2000 years ago. Absolutely a wonderful day! RT, Dujiangyan Scenic Area, Chengdu Plain