Four historic Chinese irrigation sites have been inscribed on the World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) list, reinforcing China's legacy as a pioneer in sustainable water management. The announcement came during the 76th International Executive Council Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage in Kuala Lumpur this week.
The newly recognized sites include:
The cascading Yuanyang Hani Terraces in Yunnan – a 1,300-year-old marvel integrating rice cultivation with mountain ecosystems
Zhejiang's Jianjiangyan Irrigation System, operational since the 9th century
Beijing's Mentougou Ancient Canals along the Yongding River, dating to the Ming Dynasty
Anhui's Chishan Lake network, a hydraulic engineering feat from the 3rd century BCE
With these additions, China now claims 42 WHIS-listed sites – nearly 20% of the global total. The recognition highlights how ancient Asian engineering solutions continue to inform modern climate resilience strategies.
