China adds 4 new sites to World Heritage Irrigation Structures list, raises total to 42

(ECNS) -- China has added four sites to the 2025 World Heritage Irrigation Structures list, bringing its total to 42, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage announced Wednesday at its 76th International Executive Council Meeting.

The newly listed sites are the Yuanyang Hani Terraces in Yunnan Province, the Chishan Lake Irrigation Project in Jiangsu’s Jurong, the Jianjiang Dam in Pengzhou, Sichuan Province, and the Ancient Canal Irrigation Project of Yongding River in Beijing's Mentougou District.

The Yuanyang Hani Terraces in Yunnan Province. (File photo/China News Service)

First built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907), the Yuanyang Hani Terraces in Yunnan’s Ailao Mountains span about 3,740 hectares and showcase a forest-village-terrace-water system that integrates farming and ecology.

The Chishan Lake Irrigation Project in Jurong was built in 239 AD and has a history spanning over 1,700 years. It is a crucial irrigation and flood-control storage system in the upper reaches of the Qinhuai River, with an irrigated area of 77,000 mu (about 5,133 hectares).

Aerial view of the Chishan Lake in Jiangsu Province. (File photo/China News Service)

The Jianjiang Dam in Pengzhou dates to the end of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). It irrigates 162,000 mu (approximately 10,800 hectares) of farmland and is a prime example of the Pingliang water-diversion irrigation system.

The Yongding River Ancient Canal Irrigation Project in Mentougou, Beijing, consists of five ancient canals along with surrounding springs and wells. By leveraging the river’s curved topography for water intake, the system skillfully avoids floods and silt accumulation.

The World Heritage Irrigation Structures list was established in 2014. With the latest additions, the total number of global heritage irrigation sites has reached 200, among which China now holds 42.