Yujiawan Mulberry-Dyke Fishpond

Yujiawan Mulberry-Dyke Fishpond

Yujiawan Mulberry-Dyke Fishpond is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

Yujiawan Mulberry-Dyke Fishpond is located in Yujiawan Group, Wujing Village, Heshan Town, Tongxiang City. There is no definitive record of when the Yujiawan Mulberry-Dyke Fishpond was first dug, and local historical materials from Tongxiang also make no mention of it. Local residents only know that this area has long been known as having “nine ridges and thirteen ponds.” The earliest known record related to mulberry-dyke fishponds can be found in the Ming Dynasty’s *Shen Family Agricultural Book*: “Fish are raised in the ponds; their fertile mud can be applied to bamboo fields, and the rest can be used to fertilize mulberry trees. At the end of the year, the fish can be traded for rice. Raising five or six sheep can also provide funds for planting mulberry trees.” After the Ming Dynasty, mulberry-dyke fishponds rapidly developed across the Yangtze River Delta region, gradually forming the prototype of the Jiangnan “land of fish and rice.” Therefore, we believe that the establishment of Yujiawan Mulberry-Dyke Fishpond should date back to this period (late Ming to early Qing Dynasty).

The mulberry-dyke fishpond is an integrated ecological agricultural model that combines mulberry cultivation, sericulture, and fish farming. This traditional method of growing mulberry and raising fish creates a mutually beneficial and ecologically virtuous cycle, representing a unique example of traditional Chinese farming culture. After thousands of years, it continues to function, demonstrating its profound impact on China’s ecological agriculture and freshwater fish farming industries. Experts and scholars in the fields of water conservancy and agriculture have spoken highly of this production model. Renowned works such as the *Shen Family Agricultural Book* and the *Supplement to the Agricultural Book* have provided detailed records and specialized discussions on it, making it a model of “ecological agriculture” and “circular economy” in China and even the world, and earning praise from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and UNESCO. It can be said that the mulberry-dyke fishpond production model is a unique annotation of Chinese farming culture, unparalleled in the world. The existence of this production model itself is a prime example of the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

In January 2011, it was designated as part of the sixth batch of cultural heritage sites protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

Wujing Village: Wujing Village is located in the center of Heshan Town, Tongxiang City. It borders Dongbentou Village to the east, Heshan Town proper to the west, Huatai Village and Yantou Village of the same town to the north, and Shimen Dongchi Village to the south. Tongde Highway runs through the center of the village, providing very convenient transportation. The village is situated on the northern Hangjiahu Plain of Zhejiang, featuring flat terrain with an average elevation of 3.2 meters.

　Wujing Village, under the jurisdiction of Heshan Town, covers an administrative area of approximately 5.36 square kilometers. The soil is rich in organic matter and loose in texture. With crisscrossing waterways, good water quality, and a beautiful environment, it is a typical water-network region in the Jiangnan area.

　The village comprises a total of 42 villager groups... Detailed information about Wujing Village++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Heritage Sites Protected at the Provincial Level in Zhejiang Province