Site of the Kaiping Sluice

Site of the Kaiping Sluice

The Site of the Kaiping Sluice is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Qüyu Sluice, commonly known as the “Lower Sluice,” is located in the Xiahadun Natural Village of Shangpuzhou Village, Liming Subdistrict, Lucheng District, Wenzhou City, at the eastern foot of Yangfu Mountain. According to local villagers, the Qüyu Sluice was buried underground in the 1980s by residents who built a threshing ground on top. It was not until the end of June 2010, during the construction of the first phase of the project to connect the rivers downstream of the mountain, that it was discovered. In August 2010, the Wenzhou Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology Institute, in coordination with the Municipal Water Resources Bureau’s “Rivers Downstream of the Mountain Connection Project,” carried out a clearance of the Qüyu Sluice at the eastern foot of Yangfu Mountain. The sluice is oriented from east to west and was built on the bedrock at the foot of Qüyu (i.e., Yangfu Mountain), hence its name. The sluice is approximately 16.75 meters in total length, with five gates, each about 2.8 meters wide and 1.8 meters high. The gate piers are about 2.3 meters long and 0.5 meters wide, with square granite pillars erected at both ends. The pillars are connected with slabs, and the two pillars on the northern side feature two rows of gate slots. There are sloping support slabs on the northern side of the piers, and the tops of the pier pillars have mortise holes that connect with the slab stones of the piers and the supporting stones. A stone bridge sits atop the piers. The third pier from the east has the vertical characters “Kaiping Sluice” carved on the southern face of its pillar.

The exact date of the original construction of the Qüyu Sluice is unknown, but it already existed in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty. Historically, the Qüyu Sluice underwent multiple repairs. In the 1950s, it was also renovated, and an additional gate chamber was added on the right side. The existing main structure of the sluice was likely rebuilt in the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1873). Nevertheless, the historical layout has been well preserved at the Qüyu Sluice. Needless to say, it is “backed by rock on the left and facing the river on the right.” On-site, it can be observed that the originally upright pillars at both ends of the piers were later cut into sloped surfaces and grooved to connect with the new piers—this reuse of materials is evident as the sloping supports are nearly identical to the original pillars. Even the additional gate chamber built in the 1950s was constructed entirely in the original style. These details speak volumes. It was discovered during the second national cultural relics survey in the 1980s.

Overall, the Qüyu Sluice is rather sophisticated in structure. Analysis of its site selection, engineering structure, and construction techniques shows that it served multiple functions such as blocking tides, raising the water level of inland rivers, and draining floodwaters. This fully demonstrates that Wenzhou had achieved a relatively high level of hydraulic engineering technology during the Song Dynasty. As the earliest existing hydraulic facility in the urban area, it holds significant value for the study of the history of Wenzhou’s water conservancy projects.

After being designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, it became commonly known as the “Site of the Kaiping Sluice.”

Protection Level: Provincial-level Cultural Relic Protection Unit

Time Period: Southern Song Dynasty

Category: Ancient Ruins

Protected Area: Extending 10 meters outward from the central line of the gate piers to the north and south, and 8 meters outward from both sides of the piers to the east and west.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 100 meters outward from the protected area.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units