Lingqu Canal North Section — Xing'an Qincheng Cut and Pound Lock
灵渠北渠 · Ling Canal North · Xing'an Lingqu
Qin (Warring States unification)·Qin Central, Bashu, Baiyue·🇨🇳 Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Xing'an County, Xiang River source, 67 km N Guilin, China
About
About Lingqu Canal North Section — Xing'an Qincheng Cut and Pound Lock
49 - China's first Grand Canal predating the Beijing–Hangzhou by 1500 yr, built by Qin Shi Huang and engineer Shi Lu for southern campaign vs Baiyue. Huazui plough divide splits Xiang 70/30, Qincheng small Lingqu and large Xiang; 36 stepped pound locks with mitre gates are world's earliest lock system (219 BCE), preserved stone chambers. North section Xiang-bound, south section Li-bound to Guilin. UNESCO Tentative 2013 and national water heritage.
Li Bing Dujiangyan's contemporary but contour vs bifurcation.
Why it mattersWorld's earliest pound-lock contour canal 219 BCE, hydraulic world first before Dujiangyan in lock technology, 36 chambers.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Lock mitre gate invention 219 vs Song Qiao Wei Yue
- 02North-south flow balance hydrology
Theories
- 01Qin south Baiyue conquest as canal imperative
- 02Contour vs damless bifurcation twin hydraulic philosophies 256 vs 219 BCE
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.219–214 BCE Qin Shi Huang empire
- Period
- Qin (Warring States unification)
- Culture
- Qin Central, Bashu, Baiyue
- Builders
- Shi Lu engineer under Qin Shi Huang
- Purpose
- Xiang–Li contour canal for Qin south conquest logistics and grain 3,000 km Yangtze-Pearl
- Abandoned
- never abandoned; maintained Tang–Song and Ming canal boom
- Rediscovered
- 1820s Guilin gazetteer; 1970s Guangxi Institute
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
219 BCE
Qin Shi Huang orders Lingqu
214 BCE
Xiang–Li through navigation
2013
UNESCO Tentative Lingqu
On the ground
Structures & features
25.5970° N · 110.4900° E · 230 m · 2 mapped features
- North Section — Huazui Spillway Divide and Qinchengspillway divideHuazui (plough share) spillway dividing Xiang 70% north to Pearl vs 30% south Lingqu to Li, plus small Qincheng size channel25.5980° N · 110.4910° E
- North Section — Pound Lock (陡门) 36 chamberspound lock36 stepped pound locks (steep gates doublemen) earliest in world 219 BCE, stone chambers25.5960° N · 110.4890° E