Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System

World Heritage Research

Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.

• Civilization Perseveres

  A comprehensive analysis reveals the resilience of cultural heritage in the Wenchuan earthquake-affected region, highlighting its significant historical and cultural value. The study quantifies the area's rich heritage, including one UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project), 49 state-protected sites, 225 provincial-level sites, and 684 county-level preservation areas. These findings underscore the importance of preserving such sites, which include diverse cultural landmarks like Mount Qingcheng and the Dazu Rock Carvings, as well as homelands for ethnic minorities such as Tibetans, Qiangs, and Huis. The research employs statistical data from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China to provide a detailed overview of the region's heritage landscape, emphasizing its enduring significance despite natural disasters.

  Huadong, G., Bing, Z., Jiesheng, W., & Qing, D. (2026). Civilization Perseveres. Atlas of Remote Sensing of the Wenchuan Earthquake, 228–242. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003764274-8

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• A Textual Research on Cui Yuan’s Alleged Water Management Merits to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System

  Historical records suggest that the renowned Eastern Han dynasty official Cui Yuan served as Magistrate of Guan County and contributed significantly to the governance of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. However, this study challenges that narrative by analyzing authoritative texts such as the History of the Later Han and the Sichuan General Gazetteer. The research concludes that there is no credible evidence supporting Cui Yuan's involvement in the system's maintenance or governance, thereby revising long-standing historical assumptions. This textual analysis relies on cross-referencing multiple historical sources to assess consistency and reliability, ultimately determining the improbability of Cui Yuan’s alleged contributions.

  Zhang, Z. (2026). A Textual Research on Cui Yuan’s Alleged Water Management Merits to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Scientific Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 8(3), 86–90. https://doi.org/10.54691/6q868r86

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• New concept in ecological governance of rivers and lakes in China: opportunities and challenges

  China's river and lake governance is undergoing a significant shift from engineering-centric approaches to an integrated, basin-scale model that prioritizes ecological sustainability. This transition, driven by institutional innovations and cross-sectoral coordination, has improved water-use efficiency and ecosystem health. However, persistent challenges such as regional water scarcity, emerging pollutants, and governance constraints threaten long-term progress. The study synthesizes historical data, policy documents, and technological advancements to highlight the effectiveness of the 'ecological priority and systematic governance' framework while emphasizing the need for stronger legal frameworks and institutional resilience. These findings offer both theoretical insights for China's water management system and practical lessons for global governance efforts.

  Wang, L., Liu, X., Jin, L., Lin, Y., & Jiang, Q. (2026). New concept in ecological governance of rivers and lakes in China: opportunities and challenges. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2026.1790341

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• River–Canal Changes in the Middle Reaches of the Minjiang River (1644–1949): Spatiotemporal Evolution and Driving Mechanisms

  A comprehensive analysis of the Minjiang River's middle reaches reveals distinct spatiotemporal patterns of river-canal changes from 1644 to 1949, shaped by a complex interplay of human intervention and natural forces. The study identifies four subregions with unique driving mechanisms: Inner River (human-dominated), Outer River (flood-stressed), Nanhe River (low-disturbance stable), and Lower Basin (natural-human composite). Using archival documents, historical maps, remote sensing imagery, and water cultural heritage sites, researchers quantified changes such as anthropogenic constructions and environmentally driven alterations. They found that population growth drove human-led interventions, while floods and canal maintenance failures exacerbated environmental changes. This research offers new insights into long-term human-water interactions in large irrigation districts under climate change.

  Yan, Y., Han, T., & Dai, Q. (2026). River–Canal Changes in the Middle Reaches of the Minjiang River (1644–1949): Spatiotemporal Evolution and Driving Mechanisms. Water, 18(13), 1575. https://doi.org/10.3390/w18131575

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• Psychophysical evaluation of celebrity cultural heritage landscapes: scenic beauty and semantic perception at Zhang Daqian’s sites on Mount Qingcheng

  A dual-layer structure underpins public perception of heritage landscapes at Mount Qingcheng: natural topography serves as the perceptual foundation, while cultural imprints form the semantic core. This study quantifies how scenic beauty and semantic meaning interact in celebrity cultural heritage spaces using a psychophysical framework combining Scenic Beauty Estimation (SBE) and Semantic Differential (SD) methods. Analyzing 17 built-environment samples from Zhang Daqian’s sites, researchers found that monuments and material remains rely heavily on explicit symbolic cues to evoke meaningful responses. Sense of Cultural Accumulation and Sense of Place Identity emerged as primary perceptual drivers, explaining 92.1% of the variance in landscape perception. The findings provide a replicable model for enhancing heritage landscape legibility and place identity, offering evidence-based strategies for cultural heritage planning.

  Yang, X., Boonyanmethaporn, W., & Wan, C. (2026). Psychophysical evaluation of celebrity cultural heritage landscapes: scenic beauty and semantic perception at Zhang Daqian’s sites on Mount Qingcheng. Frontiers in Built Environment, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2026.1877251

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• Key Technical System for Water Resource Scheduling in Digital Twin Irrigation Areas with Multi-technology Integration Construction and Application Verification

  A new digital twin irrigation system, integrating multi-technology solutions, has achieved significant advancements in water resource scheduling. This system, tested across multiple large-scale irrigation districts including the UNESCO-listed Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, demonstrated a 4.17% to 8.57% water savings and reduced scheduling workload by 60%. Key innovations include integrated intelligent perception for open channel measurement, physical model-machine learning fusion for water demand prediction, and 'four pre-processes' water allocation strategies. The system's digital twin simulation covers the entire process of perception-prediction-allocation-control, achieving a typical channel measurement coverage rate of 86.11% and a crop water demand prediction accuracy (NSE coefficients) above 0.94. This scalable solution offers a reproducible model for intelligent water management in irrigation districts.

  Mei, L., Wang, Y., Su, N., & Chen, R. (2026). Key Technical System for Water Resource Scheduling in Digital Twin Irrigation Areas with Multi-technology Integration Construction and Application Verification. Proceedings of the 2026 2nd International Conference on Smart Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence, 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1145/3838079.3838086

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• A Method for Constructing Open‐Channel Velocity Field Prediction Model Based on Machine Learning and CFD

  A novel machine learning and computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based method achieves high-precision real-time prediction of open-channel velocity fields, addressing challenges posed by rapid water-level fluctuations. Applied to the Renmin Canal of China's UNESCO-listed Dujiangyan Irrigation System, this approach integrates adaptive optimization of flow data characteristics with CFD simulations, yielding predictions that align with known hydraulic principles while offering practical value for irrigation system design and maintenance.

  Li, B., Jin, C., Lin, R., Zhou, X., & Deng, M. (2025). A Method for Constructing Open‐Channel Velocity Field Prediction Model Based on Machine Learning and CFD. Computational Intelligence, 41(2). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/coin.70043

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