Jiangdu Water Control Project Scenic Area

Jiangdu Water Control Project Scenic Area

The Jiangdu Water Control Project Scenic Area is a national water conservancy scenic area.

The Jiangdu Water Control Project is located on the north bank of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, at the southern end of the old urban area of Jiangdu. Looking north from the project, the vast northern Jiangsu plain is crisscrossed with rivers and dotted with endless fields of rice and beans, earning it the reputation as a “land of fish and rice.” However, historically, this was also an area prone to both droughts and floods. After the founding of New China, Chairman Mao Zedong issued the call to “ensure the Huai River is brought under control,” and under the direct care of Premier Zhou Enlai, the world-renowned water control project—the Jiangdu Water Control Project—finally broke ground with its first shovel in December 1961.

The construction of the Jiangdu Water Control Project took 16 years. The first pumping station was successfully completed in April 1963, followed by an investment of 170 million yuan to build the second, third, and fourth stations along with their auxiliary projects.

By March 1977, a comprehensive water control hub with the largest drainage and irrigation capacity in the Far East—capable of irrigation, drainage, power generation, and navigation—stood proudly in the East. This marked the first station of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The hub has a total of 33 generating units with a combined capacity of 49,800 kilowatts, capable of drawing 473 tons of river water per second, or 550 tons through self-suction. The hourly water extraction can irrigate 40,500 acres of farmland. The daily water extraction, if channeled into a 1-meter-wide and -deep canal, could circle the Earth.

The river diversion sluice gate is majestic and magnificent. In front of it, eight bold and powerful golden characters reading “Jiangdu Water Control Project,” inscribed by Comrade Zhu Muzhi, shine brilliantly. Entering the gate and walking south along the wide boulevard, shaded by greenery overhead and with murmuring blue waters beside you, you will soon see four massive pumping stations lined up in a straight line from west to east. These grayish-white buildings, about 10 stories high, stand impressively against the backdrop of green trees and shimmering waters. Standing atop the station, you can gaze into the distance. To the south, the mighty Yangtze River roars with waves; to the north, skyscrapers densely populate the bustling streets full of vibrant activity; to the east and west, the surging Tongyang Canal and Mangdao River flow like white ribbons across the hundred-mile fields.

Among the four stations, the fourth is the most powerful, far exceeding the previous three. In the control room of the station building, seven giant 3,000-kilowatt motors are lined up. Descending the spiral staircase to the bottom level, even in the height of summer, one feels a chill, as this is over 10 meters underwater. Here, there are massive pumps, each with a diameter of over 3 meters. Standing at the heart of the pumping station, there is no deafening roar of machinery as one might expect. Instead, workers are seen pressing buttons at the control panel or inspecting the operation of the enormous pumps, all in perfect order. Only when standing at the outlet can you witness the swirling water gushing forth from the massive pumps like tumbling clouds, runaway horses, or dragons rampaging in the sea—a breathtaking spectacle.

It is this tremendous power that has tamed the once untamable four rivers—the four inflows of the Huai River into the Yangtze—that were once unruly dragons, now firmly held in the “giant hands” of the four stations. Since then, the waters of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers have been interchanged across basins, and through eight stages of pumping stations, the water is directly delivered to the Xuhuai region and the Anhui border areas around Hongze Lake, irrigating over 3.6 million mu of farmland. In 1978, during a severe drought in the Xuhuai region, the four stations transported nearly 6 billion tons of Yangtze River water northward, effectively addressing the needs of winter wheat irrigation, rice cultivation, industry, transportation, and domestic use, thus putting an end to the lament of “the Yangtze River water out of reach, the Huai River water unreliable.” Even in the drought year of 1994, the stations ensured the granaries of northern Jiangsu remained full. During the once-in-a-century massive flood of 1991, the four stations discharged a total of 2.7 billion cubic meters of floodwater, effectively alleviating the disaster in northern Jiangsu and preventing the historical tragedy of the 1931 flood that submerged the land and led to widespread famine. The local people sincerely remarked, “a world of difference within a sixty-year cycle.” During the off-season for irrigation and drainage, surplus Huai River water is used to generate 3,000 kilowatts of electricity, which is fed into the power grid, bringing light to factories and rural areas nearby, demonstrating the immense comprehensive benefits...

If the river diversion station is a giant that makes the river flow backward, majestic in form, then what surrounds this magnificent structure is another kind of serene beauty. Entering the station area, the pedestrian paths are lined with dragon cypress, cedar, and ginkgo trees. The towering cedars along the road, with their twisted branches and dense, thick needles, present a solemn and dignified presence. Along the riverbank, weeping willows and peach trees are interspersed in rows. In the sunny days of early spring, walking here truly evokes the feeling of “raindrops on peach blossoms dampening clothes, and the willow breeze gently brushing the face without chill.”

The Jiangdu Water Control Project is a treasure of the people of Jiangdu and the pride of the land of Jianghuai. With its unique charm, it has attracted visitors from over 120 countries and regions, including heads of state, government leaders, and political party chiefs. A foreign president once remarked after visiting: “The economic development of a country begins first with agricultural development, and agriculture is inseparable from water conservancy. China has done this exceptionally well.”

On October 23, 1991, Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Kim Il Sung, Chairman of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and his delegation to visit the Jiangdu Water Control Project. On April 16, 2000, Premier Zhu Rongji of the State Council inspected the Jiangdu Water Control Project.

Today, the eastern route plan of the “South-to-North Water Diversion” project involves diverting water from Jiangdu, channeling it through 13 pumping stages and a tunnel beneath the Yellow River, bringing Yangtze River water to Tianjin and Hebei, with an annual transfer volume of 15 billion cubic meters.