XIN DAM

Built in the 12th year of the Daoguang reign (1832) north of Zhizi Dam at Xiajia Bridge, the sluice gate was 60 zhang wide, with two wing walls each 30 zhang long. The base of the dam was designed to be level when the lake water rose to 11 chi, with the water flowing from above. The base had a clearance height of 3 chi 6 cun, and three levels of vertical stones were laid consecutively. Currently, the dam is well preserved, with stone wing walls on both sides extending through the embankment body. During the Qing Dynasty, there were five flood-relief dams on the Hongze Lake Embankment: Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, and Xin, also known as the Upper Five Dams, distinct from the Lower Five Dams on the eastern embankment of the Grand Canal south of Gaoyou. The Lower Five Dams were referred to as the Lower Five, complementing the Upper Five. Their structures and dimensions were largely similar. Today, among the Upper Five Dams on the Hongze Lake Embankment, the Kangxi-era Li Dam, the Qianlong-era Zhi Dam, and the Daoguang-era Xin Dam are relatively well preserved, while the Lower Five Dams have been lost to history.