The Old Course of the Dian Pond

The Old Course of the Dian Pond

The Old Course of the Dian Pond is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Dian Pond is a large-scale ancient water conservancy project on the southern shore of Taihu Lake, significant for the study of ancient hydraulic engineering history, shipping history, and the socioeconomic development along its banks. Together with the Taihu Lougang, it forms an extensive water network that gradually diverts the rapid currents from the streams of the East and West Tiaoxi Rivers into various rivers and canals, not only reducing the impact of droughts and floods but also irrigating tens of thousands of hectares of farmland in northern Zhejiang. It stands as a great invention among the ancient hydraulic projects of the Taihu Lake Basin, with some researchers even comparing it to the Zhengguo Canal and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The excavation of the Dian Pond and the Taihu Lougang is a monumental feat in China’s hydraulic history, holding exceptional historical and scientific value.

The Old Course of the Dian Pond (preserved after the digging of a new channel north of Nanxun Town following the founding of the People’s Republic of China, extending from the former site of Zhiguan Temple at the west gate of Nanxun to the Fen Shui Dun at the east gate, featuring brick-and-stone revetments throughout, interspersed with multiple river wharves and tributaries, and spanning approximately 1.8 kilometers in total) serves as a "living fossil" of the canal route diverted from the Dian Pond. It stands as a witness to the canal’s hydraulic engineering, shipping history, as well as the social, political, economic, and cultural development of Nanxun, possessing considerable historical value.

Cultural Value

The Dian Pond is a vital waterway. As it connects with the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal leading all the way to Beijing, it flows northward into the Yangtze River. In modern times, it has been linked with the Changhu-Shen Navigation Channel, becoming a key passage to Shanghai. The construction of the Dian Pond facilitated agricultural development, the gathering of goods, economic exchange, and the movement of merchants and travelers, greatly contributing to the social progress and economic growth of towns along its route such as Huzhou, Nanxun, Zhenze, and Pingwang. Since its establishment as a town in the late Chunyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty, Nanxun has centered around the Dian Pond, referring to the sections within the town as the East and West Market Rivers. Both government offices and residential houses were built along the two banks of the Market River.

Historical Evolution of the Dian Pond

During the Taikang era of the Jin Dynasty (280–289 AD), Yin Kang, the Prefect of Wuxing, oversaw its excavation. It irrigated a thousand hectares of farmland nearby and was named for the vast reeds and rushes growing along its banks.

In the late Eastern Jin Dynasty, Prefect Shen Jia dredged it again and renamed it Wuxing Pond, a name used through the Tang Dynasty.

In the 11th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (723 AD), Yan Mouda, the magistrate of Wucheng County, carried out dredging work along the entire length of the Di Pond.

During the Guangde era of the Tang Dynasty (763–764 AD), Lu Youping, the Prefect of Huzhou, expanded and reinforced it.

In the 8th year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (792 AD), Di Yu, who served as Prefect of Huzhou, organized local labor to renovate the Di Pond. His efforts achieved “repairing the embankments, dredging the irrigation channels, planting trees to mark the roads, and diverting water to irrigate the fields.” The people praised his virtue, and thus it came to be called the “Dian Pond.”

Around the 12th year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty (circa 812 AD), Xue Xu, the Prefect of Huzhou, dredged over a hundred li of the pond. Later, Sun Chu, another prefect, further reinforced it.

In the Qingli era of the Song Dynasty (1044–1045 AD), an imperial edict commanded officials to repair the Dian Pond, ensuring connectivity to Huzhou across a total of ninety li.

In the 3rd year of the Zhizheng era of the Song Dynasty (1066 AD), stone was first used to build the embankments, with earth piled to form the pond.

In the 17th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1589 AD), Yang Yingpin, the magistrate of Wucheng County, constructed the East Pond.

In the 36th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1608 AD), Chen Youxue, the Prefect of Huzhou, renovated the Dian Pond, “paving it with bluestone to enhance its sturdiness.”

In the 12th year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1655 AD), the Dian Pond was repaired.

In the 6th year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty (1728 AD), Tang Shaozu, the Prefect of Huzhou, renovated the East Pond (i.e., the Dian Pond). Governor Li Wei “allocated funds and assigned officials to repair the stone pond, stretching seventy li from the east gate to Zhenze County in Jiangnan, while also mobilizing civilians to prepare earth for the embankment.”

In the 12th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1832 AD), Magistrate Yang Shaoting “followed orders to encourage the repair of the embankments,” “starting work on the day of jiayi in March and completing it on the day of yihai in May, with expenses amounting to ten thousand taels of silver.” A stele titled “Record of the Reconstruction of the East Pond in Nanxun” remains, and there are also records of the reconstruction of stone bridges during the Tongzhi era.

In the 36th year of the Republic of China (1947 AD), the Dian Pond was repaired.

In 1951, the Nanxun urban section of the Dian Pond was dredged.

Between autumn 1954 and 1955, the realignment project of the Nanxun section of the Dian Pond was completed.

In August 1997, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province.

Nanxun Town: Nanxun is a prosperous and culturally vibrant ancient town in the Jiangnan region. Its geographical coordinates lie between 120°25′–120°26′ east longitude and 30°52′–30°53′20″ north latitude. Located on the shores of Taihu Lake and bordering Suzhou, it serves as the eastern gateway for Huzhou’s connection to Shanghai’s Pudong area. The Changhu-Shen Waterway and National Highway 318 run through the town, providing it with a superior geographical environment and convenient land and water transportation. The town covers a total area of 141.3 square kilometers, governs 51 administrative villages and 10 residential communities, with a total population of 116,000 and cultivated land spanning 122,500 mu. In 2000... More detailed information about Nanxun Town++