Anle Reservoir

Have you ever heard of a fish’s mouth that tames a river? Here at the Anle Reservoir, part of the incredible Dujiangyan Irrigation System, that’s exactly what you’ll find. Anle Reservoir isn’t just a body of water. It’s a testament to human ingenuity, a story etched in stone and water for over two millennia. The Dujiangyan, and therefore the Anle Reservoir, was born from necessity. The Min River, surging down from the mountains, frequently flooded the Chengdu plains. Around 256 BC, a brilliant Qin hydrologist named Li Bing devised a solution, not by brute force with a dam, but by understanding the river’s nature. He created the Yuzui, meaning “fish’s mouth.” This ingenious levee splits the Min River into two channels. This fish’s mouth, part of the larger Dujiangyan Irrigation System and essential for the Anle Reservoir, cleverly regulates the water flow. During floods, it diverts excess water, and in dry seasons, ensures enough water reaches the plains. But Li Bing’s brilliance didn’t stop there. He also incorporated the Feishayan, a “flying sand weir,” and the Baopingkou, a “bottle-neck channel” carved through a mountain. These three components work in concert. They not only manage the water flow into Anle Reservoir, but also cleverly flush out sediment, preventing the system from silting up. The Anle Reservoir and the entire Dujiangyan system are a marvel of ancient engineering, still functioning today, irrigating thousands of square kilometers of farmland and protecting Chengdu from floods. The system’s success is so profound, some say it even contributed to the region’s laid-back lifestyle, providing a sense of stability and prosperity for generations. So, as you stand here at Anle Reservoir, marvel at not just the water before you, but the ingenuity that has shaped this landscape for over two thousand years, a legacy etched in the flow of the Min River.