Historic site · SICHUAN · UNESCO
Dujiangyan Irrigation System
都江堰 · Dūjiāngyàn
About
2,300-year-old irrigation system on the Min River. Still in use. UNESCO-listed jointly with Mt Qingcheng. Engineering rather than architecture, but one of the great works.
The Dujiangyan irrigation system is a 2,300-year-old hydraulic engineering work on the Min River — a tributary of the Yangtze — built in 256 BCE under the direction of Li Bing, the governor of Shu under the Qin state. Its defining characteristic, and the reason it remains one of the most significant engineering achievements of the ancient world, is what it does not have: a dam. Instead, Li Bing split the river using a fish-tail-shaped levee (the Yuzui, or Fish Snout) that divides the flow into an inner channel supplying the Chengdu Plain and an outer channel managing seasonal flood water. A second structure, the Feishayan spillway, regulates excess inner-channel water. A third, the Baopingkou (Bottle-Neck Passage), controls how much water enters the irrigation network. The three components work together as a self-regulating system: in flood season, the geometry of the levee naturally directs more water to the outer channel; in dry season, more is directed inward.
The result is that the Chengdu Plain — historically prone to alternating drought and flood — has been under continuous, reliable irrigation for over two millennia. The system currently waters approximately 660,000 hectares of farmland across central Sichuan. UNESCO listed it in 2000 jointly with Mt Qingcheng as a combined cultural and engineering heritage site.
The site is laid out as a park with walkways along the river embankments, suspension bridges crossing the Min River at the point of the original Yuzui levee, and a hill-top pavilion (Erwang Temple, dedicated to Li Bing and his son) with views across the whole channel system. The engineering is visible and legible from the bridges — you can watch the water split around the Yuzui and observe the flow differential between inner and outer channels. Allow three hours; combine with Mt Qingcheng (30 minutes by road) for a full-day excursion, or add the Dujiangyan Panda Base for a two-day loop.
How to get there
HSR Chengdu to Dujiangyan (40 min).
When to visit
Spring through autumn; combine with nearby Mt Qingcheng.
UNESCO inscription
“Construction of the Dujiangyan irrigation system began in the 3rd century B.C. This system still controls the waters of the Minjiang River and distributes it to the fertile farmland of the Chengdu plains. Mount Qingcheng was the birthplace of Taoism, which is celebrated in a series of ancient temples.”
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Frequently asked questions
- How much does Dujiangyan Irrigation System cost to visit?
- Adult entry to Dujiangyan Irrigation System is ¥80, ¥40 for children.
- When is Dujiangyan Irrigation System open?
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System opening hours: 8am–6pm.
- How long do you need at Dujiangyan Irrigation System?
- Allow 3–5 hours for Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Add buffer time if you plan to visit at peak season or include nearby sights in the same trip.
- When is the best time to visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System?
- Spring through autumn; combine with nearby Mt Qingcheng.
- How do you get to Dujiangyan Irrigation System?
- HSR Chengdu to Dujiangyan (40 min).
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