Li Canal-Gaoyou Irrigation District honoured as world heritage structure

2021-11-29 15:02:00

The Li Canal-Gaoyou Irrigation District in Gaoyou City of Jiangsu Province became one of the newly listed projects of World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS), according to the 72nd International Executive Council (IEC) Meetings of the International Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) held in Marrakech, Morocco.

This marked the province’s first project recognized by WHIS. Established in 1950, the ICID is an international organization aimed at boosting scientific and technological exchanges on irrigation, drainage and flood control. The WHIS designation, established by the ICID in 2014, aims to protect and promote irrigation projects of historical value and their scientific experience.

Gaoyou’s long history of using water projects to fight the Huaihe River floods and the Li Canal for irrigation can be found in records in the ancient Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. Many of these projects are still in use today.

Li Canal was first built in 486 B.C. to connect and divert water between the Gaoyou Lake and the Gaoyou irrigation district, maintaining a functional balance between water transport and irrigation. The Li Canal-Gaoyou Irrigation District showcased the use of weir to regulate the canal’s water level and ensured smooth shipping against waves in the lake.