🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Karez of Turpan
Han dynasty 142 BCE to Qing · Han, Uyghur, Hui oasis communities
2000-year karez underground qanat network (5,000 km, 1,100 lines) feeding Turpan Depression vineyards from Tian Shan snowmelt.
🇨🇳 China · Ancient village
Tianluoshan
Hemudu culture 6500–5000 BCE (Early → Middle → Late Hemudu) · Hemudu (Lower Yangzi Neolithic, Austroasiatic? → later Wu-Yue)
Hemudu culture waterlogged village (c.6500–5000 BCE, 7000–5800 cal BP) in Yuyao, Zhejiang — 3 ha Neolithic settlement between two hills 7 km northeast of Hemudu, excavated 2004–07 by Zhejiang…
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Grand Canal – Beijing-Hangzhou Section (Jing-Hang Yunhe)
Spring & Autumn to Sui to Qing continuous operation · Wu State, Sui, Yuan engineers plus successive dynasties
1,797 km artificial river (5th c. BCE–609 CE)—world's longest canal, feeding capitals for 1,400 years.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Binglingsi Upper Grottoes — Liujia Gorge Yellow River Cliffs
Sixteen Kingdoms to Ming · Western Qin, Northern Wei, Western Xia, Tibetan, Ming
Liujia Gorge 27-m Tang Maitreya and 420 CE Western Qin mandala caves above Yellow River reservoir, 183 caves.
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Dujiangyan North Channel — Waijiang Fish-Mouth North Spill
Warring States (Qin to Han) · Qin Sichuan, Bashu
Min River Fish-Mouth levee splitting Waijiang north flood vs Neijiang south irrigation with Lidui cut, 256 BCE Li Bing.
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Dujiangyan East Secondary Canal (Yuzui East Feeder Canal, Sichuan)
Qin 256 BCE to Han 100 BCE to Qing 1884 (Dujiangyan east feeder) · Qin–Han Shu (Sichuan) state hydraulic
East feeder canal 5.2 km ×12×2.2 m stone revet 1.2 m with bottleneck sluice 8 m: Qin 256 BCE/Han 100 BCE eastern Chengdu 820 ha.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Mati Si (Horse Hoof Temple) Grottoes
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan (420 – 1368 CE) · Northern Liang Han, Tuyuhun Xianbei, Tibetan, Uyghur, Western Xia Tangut, Mongol
Hexi cliff 31 conglomerate caves with 33 Heavens Pagoda and Gesar hoof legend, 420 CE–Yuan.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Yungang Grottoes — Western Caves Extension (Caves 26–40)
Northern Dynasties (Northern Wei late) · Tuoba Wei (Xianbei) Buddhist with Han artisan school
UNESCO Yungang western 15-cave zone 494–525 with central-pillar and collapsed colossus.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Mati Si East Grottoes — Sunan Upper Cliff Temples
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan · Northern Liang, Tibetan, Uyghur, Western Xia Tangut, Mongol
Sunan east conglomerate cliffs 12 caves with 33 Heavens 7-storey pagoda and pillar hall, 420 CE–Yuan.
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Turpan Karez (Kariz) Irrigation System — Turfan Depression
Han to Qing (2nd c. BCE – 19th c. CE) · Han Chinese, Turkic Uyghur, Gaochang Tokharian, Hui
Tianshan 5,000-km 1784-karez gravity snow-melt system below sea level Han–present.
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Warring States, Qin to Qing continuous · Qin state engineers under Li Bing (later successive dynasties maintenance)
256 BCE Qin weir still irrigating 5,300 km²—world's oldest dam-less hydraulic system.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Matisi Grottoes — Southern Sunan Secondary Cliff
Sixteen Kingdoms to Tang (Northern Liang 420 peak) · Hexi Corridor mixed Han–Tibetan Buddhist (Juqu Mengxun lineage)
Mati Si southern 12-cave cliff 420 CE Thousand-Buddha with hoof-print legend and hanging plankway.
🇨🇳 China · Ancient city
Taosi
Late Longshan Taosi phase 2300–1900 BCE → Erlitou transition · Longshan (Taosi culture) → Early Xia? (Yao/Shun legend)
Late Longshan (Taosi phase) walled regional capital (c.2300–1900 BCE) at Tao Temple basin near Linfen, Shanxi — 280 ha enclosure (largest Longshan city in Yellow River basin) with rammed-earth outer…
🇨🇳 China · Rock art
Yinshan Rock Art
Neolithic to Qing (6000 BCE – 1800 CE) · Yangshao, Ordos, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Mongol
Inner Mongolian 300-km granite gallery 15,000 masks and Ordos chariots 6 ka BCE–Qing.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Kizil Caves — Western Valley Extension (Western Kizil)
Early Medieval Central Asian (Tocharian B) · Tocharian Buddhist (Kucha Kingdom) with Gandhara influence
Kucha Tocharian western 42-cave valley 400–700 CE diamond ceilings and lapis blue, German-removal archive.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Xiangtangshan South Caves — Fengfeng Echoing Hall Peak
Northern Dynasties to Tang · Northern Qi Xianbei-Han Buddhist
Handan south hill 3 limestone caves with 550 CE Amitabha Western Paradise (Freer) and central pillar, Northern Qi.
🇨🇳 China · Rock art
Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape
Bronze Age to Eastern Han (Warring States 400 BCE – Han) · Luoyue (proto-Zhuang Baiyue)
Guangxi karst cliffs 38 panels 1900 frog-shaman figures 5th c. BCE–2nd c. CE, UNESCO 1508.
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Turpan Karez Extension (Flaming Mountains North Piedmont)
Imperial Chinese (Ming-Qing) on Han antecedent · Turpan Uyghur / Han frontier
Eastern extension (30 m asl, 42°57′04″N 89°11′22″E Turpan municipal 42.9512,89.1895; Flaming Mountains 100 km E-W 42.98,89.20 500-850 m) of Turpan-Hami Silk Road karez water system UNESCO 1442 Silk…
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Sui Xingjin (Xing Jin) Canal — Zhengzhou Segment
Sui to Song (605–1080) · Sui–Tang Imperial (Yang Guang–Li Shimin)
Sui Grand Canal western 40-m prism 605 CE with Tongji wharf and Huiluo Barn harbour, Grand Canal type section.
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Lingqu Canal – Magic Canal (Xing'an, Guangxi)
Qin to Tang to Qing continuous use · Qin imperial engineers under Shi Lu
214 BCE Qin contour canal—36 km linking Yangtze to Pearl via watershed split and 1,400-year-earlier pound locks.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Longmen West Hillside Grottoes — Luoyang Yi River West Cliffs
Northern Wei to Song · Northern Wei, Sui, Tang cosmopolitan
Luoyang west bank core with Guyang 493 earliest cave 800 inscriptions and Binyang pagoda, Northern Wei–Tang.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Tianlongshan South Caves — Heavenly Dragon South Peak
Eastern Wei to Tang · Han Chinese Buddhist, Northern Dynasties, Tang cosmopolitan
Taiyuan south peak 13 caves with Tang Manshan Pavilion Maitreya 4 m and stolen apsaras digital-reunion, 534–907 CE.
🇨🇳 China · Rock art
Langshan (Qingtongxia) Rock Art
Neolithic to Medieval Chinese (Majiayao to Western Xia) · Northern Neolithic, Ordos Bronze, Xiongnu and Tangut
Ningxia southern Helan fringe cliffs with 1200 images Neolithic to Xixia, Ordos interface.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Yungang West Caves — Wuzhou Mountain Western Annex
Northern Wei (Northern Dynasties) · Tuoba Xianbei-Han Buddhist imperial
Yungang western annex 5 caves with Cave 12 music pavilion and 10k-buddha niches, 453–494 Northern Wei Tanyao.