Technical Visits
We are pleased to offer two one-day technical tour options between the symposium (ISHS2026) and the junior workshop (IJREWHS2026) on 1 July 2026, and a two-day post-event technical tour following the workshop on 3-4 July 2026.
⚪ Technical Tour 1: Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Dujiangyan Irrigation System northwest of Chengdu and explore the world's oldest functioning dam-free water diversion project. The tour also includes stops at Zipingpu Dam and the nearby 2008 Earthquake Memorial Site. Participation may be limited to 100 people, and early booking during symposium registration is recommended.
⚪ Technical Tour 2: Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Leshan Giant Buddha by the Minjiang River south of Chengdu and meet this 1,200-year-old, 71-m-tall guardian of local river navigation, along with the modern navigation-power hubs upstream of the Buddha. Participation may be limited to 100 people, and early booking during symposium registration is recommended.
⚪ Post-Event Tour: Visit two major dams on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River built after the Three Gorges Dam. The 285.5-m-high Xiluodu Dam is renowned for "pushing technological limits", while the 162-m-high Xiangjiaba Dam stands for "multi-purpose benefits". Please be prepared for long drive hours and limited accommodation options near the dam site. Participation may be limited to 40 people, and the tour may be canceled if fewer than 10 people register.
The Dujiangyan Irrigation System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site constructed in 256 BCE, stands as a pioneering hydraulic engineering marvel that predates modern fluid mechanics principles. By ingeniously integrating three core structures — Yuzui (a bifurcation levee leveraging natural topography for flow division), Feishayan (a spillway utilizing secondary flow dynamics for sediment ejection), and Baopingkou (a calibrated intake channel for controlled water allocation) — this 2,300-year-old system achieves simultaneous flood control, sediment management, and gravity-fed irrigation without dams. Its self-regulating design maintains a 40:60 flow ratio between inner/outer channels across seasonal discharge variations (200-5,000 m³/s), irrigating 530,000 hectares of the Chengdu Plain while preserving the Min River's ecological continuity. The system's enduring functionality, sustained through adaptive maintenance protocols like annual "sand-sweeping" operations, offers profound insights into sustainable water resource management.
Following your exploration of the ancient hydraulic wisdom at Dujiangyan, you will visit Yingxiu, the epicenter of the 2008 M8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake, where nature’s power and human resilience converge. Preserved as a solemn memorial, the site bears witness to the earthquake’s catastrophic impact — collapsed buildings, tilted structures like the iconic Xuankou Middle School, and landscapes reshaped by landslides. A short drive from Dujiangyan, this location starkly contrasts ancient hydraulic harmony with modern disaster response. Interactive exhibits and stabilized ruins honor lives lost while showcasing post-disaster innovations in earthquake-resistant infrastructure and flood prevention, born from lessons learned here. The nearby reconstructed Min River levees and memorial park reflect a community’s rebirth, bridging remembrance with hope.
As the final destination bridging ancient and modern Chinese water management, the Zipingpu Dam on the Min River exemplifies 21st-century hydroengineering resilience. Located 9 km upstream from the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, this 156-m-tall concrete-faced rockfill dam (completed in 2006) serves dual purposes: regulating flows to optimize Dujiangyan's ancient diversion function while generating 760 MW through four turbines. Crucially, during the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake (epicenter 17 km away), the dam withstood 0.5-g PGA shaking — exceeding its 0.26g design basis — through emergency drawdown protocols and flexible CFRD geometry, preventing catastrophic failure that would have jeopardized Dujiangyan and Chengdu's 11 million residents. Post-quake seismic upgrades included grouted rock anchors and GPS-monitored deformation control, while its reservoir sedimentation rate informs Dujiangyan's modern sediment management strategies. This synergy of cutting-edge technology and ancient hydrological wisdom underscores China's multiscalar approach to water-energy nexus challenges.
The Jianzishan Navigation-Power Hub Project, located 80 km to the south of the conference venue, is a key infrastructure development under Sichuan’s 14th Five-Year Plan for Transportation. As the first tier of the Minjiang River navigation and hydropower cascade, this 11 billion CNY project integrates shipping, power generation, flood control, and ecological conservation. Designed primarily for 500-ton vessel navigation, it will establish a "Golden Waterway" linking Meishan, Chengdu, and Shanghai, enhancing regional connectivity and facilitating heavy cargo transport to support industrial relocation and the Yangtze River Economic Belt development. The hub features a large ship lock, 3×23 MW turbine units (69 MW total), 20 sluice gates, and fish passages to protect aquatic biodiversity. Upon completion in 2025, it will maintain a reservoir capacity of 35.4 million m³, improving irrigation, aquaculture, and flood resilience (50-year flood control, 500-year check standard). Additionally, it is expected to generate 285.2 GWh annually, reducing coal use by 90,000 tons and cutting CO₂ emissions by 240,000 tons. The project exemplifies sustainable hydro-shipping integration, balancing economic growth with ecological protection in the Minjiang Basin.
About 2 hours drive from Chengdu, the Angu Hydropower Station is the final cascade of the Dadu River's hydropower development and a large-scale multi-purpose project integrating power generation (772 MW total capacity), flood control, navigation, irrigation, and water supply. With an average annual output of 3.144 billion kWh, it significantly contributes to Sichuan's clean energy supply while enhancing river navigation through its ship lock and 13 sluice gates, providing 100-year flood protection for downstream areas. The project incorporates ecological measures like fish passages and ecological flow units to mitigate environmental impact, and achieved remarkable construction milestones - beginning in 2012 with record-breaking excavation speeds, connecting its first 190 MW unit to the grid 112 days ahead of schedule in 2014, and becoming fully operational in 2015. With a total investment of 9.7 billion CNY, the station has improved flood resilience, boosted inland shipping, facilitated rural electrification, and enhanced living conditions for relocated residents.
The Leshan Giant Buddha, a 71-m-tall UNESCO World Heritage Site carved into a cliff at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu, and Qingyi rivers, stands as both a spiritual marvel and a testament to ancient hydraulic ingenuity. Commissioned in the 8th century by the monk Haitong to pacify the turbulent rivers and protect boatmen from deadly floods, this colossal statue embodies an early form of flood mitigation. Its strategic placement at the rivers’ junction allowed its massive structure to redirect water currents, stabilizing navigation and reducing erosion. Remarkably, the statue integrates a hidden drainage system within its hair, shoulders, and robes, channeling rainwater and preventing weathering, a design that inadvertently served as a hydraulic safeguard for its preservation. Modern studies suggest the Buddha’s presence may have altered sediment deposition patterns, indirectly easing flood risks. Today, as climate change intensifies seasonal flooding, the statue faces threats from rising water levels, prompting conservation efforts like flood monitoring networks and reinforced drainage channels. This 1,200-year-old masterpiece thus bridges spiritual symbolism, ancient engineering, and enduring relevance to water management in China’s flood-prone river basins.
Xiluodu Hydropower Station, is a landmark double-curvature arch dam on the upper Yangtze River, approximately 6 hours' drive from Chengdu. It ranks among the world's tallest dams with a height of 285.5 m (3rd in China). The dam's innovative flood discharge and energy dissipation system includes 7 surface spillways, 8 mid-level outlets, and 16 deep outlets, handling a maximum discharge capacity of 42,800 m³/s. Its multi-stage energy dissipation employs a plunge pool, deflector buckets, and tailrace baffles, achieving 96% efficiency in mitigating hydraulic impact, which is critical for the narrow valley's high-velocity flows. It contributes to regional power stability with an installed capacity of 13.86 GW, ranking as China's second-largest hydropower station. Its strategic position in the Yangtze River basin ensures coordinated operation with downstream dams (e.g., Xiangjiaba and Three Gorges), optimizing water resource management and ecological balance.
Xiangjiaba Hydropower Station, situated 157 km downstream of Xiluodu, is the final cascade on the upper Yangtze River. Its 162-m concrete gravity dam spans 909.26 m, with an installed capacity of 7,750 MW. Unlike Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba integrates multi-purpose functions including navigation, irrigation and flood control. The dam employs dual-level stilling basin, creating counter-current jets and submerged hydraulic jumps that dissipate 96% energy, reducing bottom flow velocity to < 35 m/s while cutting floor pressure fluctuations by 40%. Its environmentally optimized operation limits mist dispersion to 500 m, protecting nearby urban areas.
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