Dujiangyan Scenic Area Tickets

Dujiangyan Scenic Area Showcases Ancient Engineering and Living Heritage

A visit to the Dujiangyan Scenic Area near Chengdu offers a rare opportunity to experience one of the world’s oldest and most successful water management systems still in operation today. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it reflects over 2,200 years of continuous engineering brilliance initiated during the Qin Dynasty.

Designed by the engineer Li Bing and his son, the Dujiangyan irrigation system was built to control the flow of the Minjiang River without the use of dams. Instead, it works in harmony with natural river dynamics, preventing floods while directing water toward the fertile Chengdu Plain, often referred to as the “Land of Abundance.”

The system is composed of three key structures. The Yuzui (Fish Mouth Levee) divides the river into inner and outer streams to regulate water volume. The Feishayan (Flying Sand Spillway) helps discharge excess water and sediment, preventing flooding and maintaining balance. The Baopingkou (Bottle-Neck Channel) precisely channels water into irrigation networks that sustain agriculture across the region.

Beyond its technical brilliance, Dujiangyan is also a place of natural beauty and cultural reflection. Flowing water, lush landscapes, and ancient stone structures create a serene environment where history and nature coexist. Visitors experience not only an engineering marvel but also a living system that continues to shape the region’s ecology and prosperity to this day.