35 kilometers from Chengdu, Dujiangyan is not only the oldest large-scale Irrigation System in China, but also a major historical site under state protection, known as a ''field Museum of lrrigation Works''. 



Construction of the Dujiangyan irrigation system was begun by Li Bing, king of west Sichuan, in 256 B.C. and completed by his son, Er Lang. When Han settlers first arrived 2,250 years ago, the area was a flat plain plagued by frequent summer floods (and winter droughts) caused by the Minjiang, a tributary of Yangtze River that flows through the Chengdu and western part of Sichuan plains. Workers using only hand tools cut a trunk canal, which was called the 'Mouth of the Precious Jar,' through a towering mountain in order to feed an extensive system of canals on the plains, turning the Chengdu plains into one of the most fertile in China and giving rise to the description of Chengdu as 'Heaven on Earth'.

The project has been maintained and expanded ever since, and it is perhaps one of the world's oldest irrigation systems in continuous use today, and the works still play a significant role in agriculture on the Chengdu plains. It is a historical wonder of science and technology. Sichuan people are very grateful to Li Bing and his son. Both men have been deified with temples built for them at Dujiangyan and elsewhere, and ceremonies are held every year to commemorate their achievements.

Dujianyan was listed in the UN Education scientific and cultural Organization's list of World Heritage in 2000.