A Dam Built 2260 Years Ago Survived the Deadly Sichuan Earthquake
On the afternoon of May 12, 2008, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Sichuan Province, a mountainous region in Western China. Millions of buildings collapsed in the earthquake. However, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, a World Heritage constructed in the 3rd century BC, withstood the terrible quake.
Dujiangyan is along the Minjiang River, a major tribute to the Yangtze River, China’s largest river. In the ancient past Sichuan was a miserable place. Flood and drought dominated it in turn. This situation lasted until Li Bing, a great hydraulic engineer, came to Sichuan in 276 BC. After a thorough survey of the physical conditions there, Li Bing made a careful plan to build the Dujiangyan. Completed in 256 BC, the Dujiangyan was so successful that it utterly changed Sichuan into a “heavenly region”. People having full control of the river water, every year has a bumper harvest.
The design of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System is so clever that it can endure thousands of years of time. Unlike other reservoirs that are filled with silt and thus lose their functionality decades after their construction, Dujiangyan is still perfectly functioning today. That means, it has worked for more than 2260 years. Having benefitted the people so greatly, Li Bing is highly revered. There is even a temple dedicated to him and a memorial ceremony is held regularly.
