Chang’an Sluice

Chang’an Sluice

Chang’an Sluice is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

Chang’an Sluice includes the Upper Sluice, Middle Sluice, Lower Sluice, Water Basin, and Chang’an Dam. It is an important hydraulic engineering project on the Grand Canal of China. Constructed during the Tang Dynasty, the double-basin sluice system was formed in the Northern Song Dynasty. Chang’an Sluice served as a key hub for transportation and military purposes along the Jiangnan section of the canal during the Song Dynasty, functioning as a critical hydraulic facility that allowed large vessels to smoothly enter and exit the upper and lower canals (with a water level difference of 1.5–2.0 meters between the two sections). The Water Basin is divided into Upper Basin and Lower Basin—large ponds that supplied water to and stored water from the Upper and Lower Sluice Chambers, enabling water recirculation. Archaeological excavations indicate that the current surviving ruins date back to the Southern Song Dynasty. Chang’an Dam, also known as the Old Dam, was built in the seventh year of the Zhizheng era (1347) of the Yuan Dynasty. It used manpower and animal power to haul boats over the dam to travel between the upper and lower canals, and it served as the predecessor of the modern-day boat-towing dam in Chang’an Town. It gradually fell into disuse after the mid-Qing Dynasty, and only ruins remain today.

Among the existing relics, apart from the location of the Song-era weir which remains unconfirmed, the other three sluices and the Yuan-era dam (Old Dam) have all been located, with their basic layout still intact. Nowadays, the sluices have been reconstructed into sluice bridges, and the sluice walls and gate pillars have been preserved. The inlet of the Upper Basin has been confirmed through archaeological excavation. Chang’an Sluice is an important hydraulic and shipping heritage site along the Jiangnan Canal. It pioneered the canal sluice-basin system, achieving multiple engineering goals such as stabilizing the waterway, conserving water, and recycling water. It serves as a significant physical testament to the development of canal hydraulic infrastructure and the evolution of the canal route. It is also the only surviving example of a double-lock system recorded in the International Canal Inventory.

Chang’an Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Haining City. In 1958, Chang’an Commune was established, and in 1961 it was converted into a county-administered town. In 1992, Chang’an Township was merged into the town. It covers an area of 43.1 square kilometers and has a population of 52,000. The Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway runs across the town. It administers 16 village committees: Chushi, Dongchen, Yancang, Lu’er, Tianming, Hongjin, Xinmin, Vegetable Village, Laozhuang, Dongguan, Wandu, Weiguo, Xiaowang, Jinqiao, Mugang, and Fishermen. The main industries include the production of white raw silk, machinery, electric fans, copper and iron padlocks, leather clothing, and metal rolling. Agriculture focuses on the cultivation of grain, ramie, rapeseed, and silk cocoon production. Chang’an… More detailed information about Chang’an Town++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Zhejiang Province