Ayi River Water Conservancy Scenic Area

Ayi River Water Conservancy Scenic Area

The Ayi River Water Conservancy Scenic Area is a national-level water conservancy scenic area.

The Ayi River Water Conservancy Scenic Area in Yinchuan City, Ningxia, is a water conservancy scenic zone that integrates channel regulation, flood control, urban landscaping, and eco-tourism. Covering an area of 52,500 mu, the urban scenic section spans 32 kilometers. The area boasts unique landscape resources, featuring typical lake and wetland scenery of the Yinchuan Plain. Currently, the constructed urban section of the Ayi River in Yinchuan has been fully connected, with landscaping and supporting structures largely in place, making it a popular leisure destination for both locals and tourists.

Introduction

The Ayi River is actually an artificial waterway that connects several lakes. Dubbed the "Green Ribbon of the Yinchuan Plain," the Ayi River has become one of the brightest "pearls" in the development of Greater Yinchuan. However, since its gradual completion starting in 2003, the 16 bridges spanning the Ayi River system have never had official names. One day, the Yinchuan Civil Affairs Bureau, the Ningxia Ayi River Management Bureau, and the Yinchuan Construction Bureau invited a hundred citizens and experts to visit the 16 bridges on the Ayi River system and name them.

Geographic Location

The Ayi River project starts from downstream of the Qingtongxia Hydropower Dam in the south and extends north to Shahu Lake in Pingluo County. Along the way, it connects dozens of lakes and wetlands totaling over 50,000 mu. Construction began in 2003, with a planned total route length of 83 kilometers, of which 48 kilometers have been completed. Since its completion, the Ayi River has played a significant role in improving channel water quality, regulating groundwater levels, enhancing urban flood drainage standards, protecting lakes and wetlands, and increasing water resource utilization. It has also beautified the living environment, becoming a striking scenic feature of Yinchuan City. However, the 16 bridges built along the Ayi River system have remained unnamed. To distinguish them, people have temporarily given them unofficial “pet names” based on nearby rivers, lakes, roads, and buildings—such as the Ayi River Bridge on Ning’an Avenue, the Ayi River Bridge on Qingshui Avenue, and the Ayi River Taoran Waterfront Arch Bridge. As the pace of development in Greater Yinchuan accelerates, these unrefined and non-standard “pet names” can no longer meet the needs of urban growth. The 16 bridges need names that reflect the themes of Yinchuan’s development as “the most suitable city,” harmony between humans and nature, ethnic unity, and the joint creation of a happy and civilized Ningxia. In line with respecting historical culture, efforts should also be made to restore original historical bridge names where possible. Yinchuan has a total of 53 bridges built since the 1950s, of which only nine have been named by corporate sponsors, leaving the other 44 still unnamed. The Ayi River project is a key water conservancy initiative in Yinchuan that integrates channel regulation, flood drainage, urban landscaping, and ecological construction. It is also one of the landmark projects in Ningxia’s efforts to build a water-saving society.

Significance

The Ayi River starts from downstream of the Qingtongxia Hydropower Dam in the south, connecting six flood interception reservoirs and two retention basins for Yinchuan flood control. It gathers water resources from the Yellow River, natural precipitation, and Yinchuan’s wetlands and lakes, linking over 50,000 mu of lakes including Yuehai and Shahu. With a planned route of 146 kilometers, construction began in June 2003 and was completed in 2007. Currently, 48 kilometers of the Ayi River have been completed, including 32 kilometers of scenic waterways in the Yinchuan section. The section of the Ayi River leading to Yuehai has been officially open for navigation since May 2005.

Since its completion, the Ayi River has not only diverted stagnant water from the inactive Tanglai and Xi Gan irrigation channels in Yinchuan, effectively protecting the channel infrastructure, but also channeled floodwaters from various reservoirs in the Helan Mountain area and farmland drainage along the route. This facilitates the reuse of floodwater, channel water, and irrigation water, playing a major role in improving channel water quality, raising urban flood drainage standards, ensuring ecological water supply for lakes and wetlands, and increasing water resource utilization. At the same time, it has created favorable conditions for beautifying the living environment and promoting harmony between humans and water.