Ruins of Sun Shu’ao’s Water Control Project

Ruins of Sun Shu’ao’s Water Control Project

The ruins of Sun Shu’ao’s water control project is a cultural tourism attraction.

During the Spring and Autumn period, Sun Shu’ao (Chancellor of the State of Chu) initiated the construction of the “Qisi Embankment.” The overall plan of the project was: “divert the flow to reduce force, progressively guide the water, install sluices and build dams, construct ponds and reservoirs, and irrigate rice fields.” An inlet was dug on the east bank of the Shih River at Shizui in Liji, diverting water northward, known as the Qing River; near Huangtugou on the downstream east bank of the Shih River, another inlet was opened to draw water, known as the Kan River. The Qing and Kan rivers meander through the narrow strip of land between the Shih and Quan rivers. The area features canals and ponds, with canals and ponds working in coordination. Additionally, on the upper and middle reaches of the Qu River (now the Guan River) in the western part of the county, sluices were installed and dams built to divert water into ponds and reservoirs. In sections of the swiftly flowing rivers such as Jiliu and Yangxing in the southern part of the county, “irrigation inlets were set up at various locations.” This transformed the “rapid mountain streams” into “living, fertile wetlands.” The irrigation area developed by Sun Shu’ao was within the territory of Qisi County, using ponds to store water, historically referred to as the “Qisi Embankment.” Stretching from the ancient town of Yulou in the upper reaches to the ancient city of Qisi in the lower reaches, later generations also called it the “Qisi-Yulou Irrigation Zone.” Successive dynasties carried out restorations of the Qisi-Yulou Irrigation Zone. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was called the Qing River Irrigation Zone and praised as the “Hundred-Li Irrigation Zone That Needs No Help from Heaven.” The present-day Meishan Irrigation Zone was reconstructed on the foundation of the ancient irrigation system. Even today, parts of the water diversion infrastructure of the “Qisi-Yulou Irrigation Zone” still function in irrigation.

Administrative location: Beiyuan Village, Liji Town, Gushi County

Geographical location: 115°48′38″E, 31°59′26″N

Liji Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Gushi County. In 1949, the Liji District was established; in 1956, it was restructured as a township; in 1958, it became the Jiefang Commune; in 1959, it was renamed Liji Commune; in 1983, it reverted to a township; in 1986, it was upgraded to a town. Located in the southeastern part of the county, it is 27 kilometers from the county seat. It covers an area of 149.3 square kilometers and has a population of 69,000. National Highway 312 passes through the town. It administers Wangmiao, Shuilian Dong, Xiaofangji, Xifengmiao, Yuanwei, Wolong, Nanyuan, Beiyuan, Ban Ge Dian, Hongtang, Bidian, Chahua, Sihu, Changxing, Matang, Chapeng, Lifan, Huangji, Dongyue, Changhu, Dalu, Wendian, Taohua, … More detailed information about Liji Town++