Sichuan

Chengdu

Structure

Ornate Bridge Entrance

An entrance to a bridge that crosses an irrigation and sedimentation control channel. The channel is part of the Djiangyan irrigation system originally built around 256 B.C. A big concern in China was and still is flooding due to large rivers rising above their banks. Facilitating flooding is the build up of sedimentation that actually raises the river bottoms. To prevent build-up at this particular site, the Chinese built a series of small channels that increase the speed of the water flow well beyond that of the natural river basin. The fast flowing water prevents sediment from settling out thereby helping to prevent what history has proven to be disastrous flooding.

9-10-01