Lingqu Canal
Encyclopedia
The Lingqu Canal is located in Xing'an County
, near Guilin
, in the northeastern corner of Guangxi
Province, China
. It connects the Xiang River
(which flows north, toward the Yangtze) with the Lijiang
(which flows south into the Gui River
), which in its turn continues toward the Xijiang), and thus is part of a historical waterway between the Yangtze and the Pearl River Delta
.
In 214 BC
, Qin Shi Huang
, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty
(221-206 B.C.), ordered the construction of a canal connecting the Xiang River
and the Lijiang
, in order to attack the nearby southern country Baiyue. It is one of the three big water conservation projects of ancient China and is the oldest contour canal
in the world. Its length reaches 36.4 km and was installed with thirty-six canal lock gates
. The architect who designed the canal was Shi Lu fl. late 3rd century BC).
The canal has been placed on the UNESCO
World Heritage Sites Tentative List.
Xing'an County
Xing'an County is a county in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, under the administration of Guilin City. Its area is , with a population of 370000. The postal code is 541300.-External links:* at Xinhuanet...
, near Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
, in the northeastern corner of Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It connects the Xiang River
Xiang River
The Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China...
(which flows north, toward the Yangtze) with the Lijiang
Lijiang River
The Li River or Lijiang River is a river in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.-Background:The Li River originates in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an County and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle....
(which flows south into the Gui River
Gui River
The Gui River is a river in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, and a tributary of the Xi Jiang....
), which in its turn continues toward the Xijiang), and thus is part of a historical waterway between the Yangtze and the Pearl River Delta
Pearl River Delta
The Pearl River Delta , Zhujiang Delta or Zhusanjiao in Guangdong province, People's Republic of China is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea...
.
In 214 BC
214 BC
Year 214 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Verrucosus and Marcellus...
, Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang , personal name Ying Zheng , was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 246 BC to 221 BC during the Warring States Period. He became the first emperor of a unified China in 221 BC...
, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
(221-206 B.C.), ordered the construction of a canal connecting the Xiang River
Xiang River
The Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China...
and the Lijiang
Lijiang River
The Li River or Lijiang River is a river in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.-Background:The Li River originates in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an County and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle....
, in order to attack the nearby southern country Baiyue. It is one of the three big water conservation projects of ancient China and is the oldest contour canal
Contour canal
A contour canal is an artificially-dug navigable canal which closely follows the contour line of the land it traverses in order to avoid costly engineering works such as boring a tunnel through higher ground, building an embankment over lower ground, or constructing a canal lock to change the...
in the world. Its length reaches 36.4 km and was installed with thirty-six canal lock gates
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
. The architect who designed the canal was Shi Lu fl. late 3rd century BC).
The canal has been placed on the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Sites Tentative List.