Red Flag Canal

Red Flag Canal

The Red Flag Canal is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

On February 11, 1960, in order to completely transform the harsh living and development conditions, 100,000 people from Linzhou ventured into the vast Taihang Mountains to engage in an unprecedented large-scale battle against nature. With the bold spirit of “rearranging the rivers and mountains of Lin County,” and relying on nothing but hammers, steel drills, and their own hands, they fought for ten grueling years, leveling 1,250 mountain peaks, digging through 211 tunnels, and erecting 152 aqueducts. Finally, they built the “Artificial Heavenly River”—the Red Flag Canal—stretching 1,500 kilometers along the towering and steep ridges of the Taihang Mountains. Some have calculated that if the earth and stone excavated during the construction of the canal were used to build a wall two meters high and three meters wide, it could stretch all the way from Guangzhou in the south to Harbin in the north.

The Red Flag Canal draws water from the Zhuozhang River, with its headworks located at the Houbi Cliff in Shicheng Town, Pingshun County, Shanxi Province. The main canal is 4.3 meters high, 8 meters wide, and 70.6 kilometers long. At the watershed, it branches into three main canals extending north and south into the heart of Linzhou. The first main canal is 39.7 kilometers long, the second is 47.6 kilometers, and the third is 10.9 kilometers. The Red Flag Canal irrigation area includes a total of 10 main and branch canals, spanning 304.1 kilometers; 51 sub-canals totaling 524.2 kilometers; and 290 tertiary canals totaling 697.3 kilometers, making a combined total length of 1,525.6 kilometers. Along the canal, 48 first- and second-class reservoirs, 346 ponds, and 45 pumping stations were also constructed. Leveraging the natural elevation drop of the canal, 45 small hydroelectric power stations were built. The total investment in the Red Flag Canal was 68.6564 million yuan, of which 10.2598 million yuan came from state funding, accounting for 14.94% of the total, with the rest raised locally.

The Red Flag Canal is like a bas-relief of the Chinese people’s backbone etched across the vast land, and also resembles a towering monument that has captured global attention. Its cool waters flow with endless stories. To transform the intangible into the tangible and the hidden into the visible, the Red Flag Canal Memorial Hall was built on the site of the Red Flag Canal Diversion Area, covering an area of more than 4,000 square meters. The museum consists of several exhibition halls: the Preface Hall, the History of Drought, the Ode to the Taihang Mountains (Parts I and II), the Red Flag Canal Today, Special Care, and the Film and Video Hall. It displays artifacts from the canal's construction, features 210 precious historical photos, and has a total exhibition line stretching 316 meters. The film and video hall plays the classic documentary “Red Flag Canal” on a loop throughout the day, allowing visitors to relive those unforgettable years. A great miracle, magnificent scenery, eternal spirit, and immortal epic—all are found at the Red Flag Canal Diversion Area.

Address: Renhe Town, Linzhou City, Henan Province

Postal Code: 456593

Phone/Fax: 6048003

Website: www.chinahqq.com

Opening Hours: 8:00 – 18:00 (open year-round)

Public Transport: Buses from Linzhou City Bus Station to the Red Flag Canal Scenic Area run every 30 minutes

Renhe Town: Located at the junction of Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan provinces, Renhe Town in Linzhou City, Henan Province, is the northern gateway to Linzhou. Covering a total area of 185 square kilometers, it governs 33 administrative villages, with 23,500 mu of arable land and a total population of 45,000.

The town enjoys a uniquely advantageous geographical location, bordering Shanxi—a major energy province—to the west and facing She County in Hebei across the river to the north, earning it the reputation of “where the crowing of a rooster can be heard in three provinces.” The provincial Xinhé Highway runs north-south through the entire town and serves as an important route for transporting coal from Shanxi to the east. The area is rich in water resources, with the main channel of the Red Flag Canal flowing through the town and the Zhang River running along its border. The national 4A-level scenic spot—Youth Cave...   More details about Renhe Town++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units