Li Bing, fighter against the "river deity" 2,200 years ago, was a water conservancy expert during the Warring States Period (475-221BC).
Li Bing began his career as an ordinary politician. In about 256 BC, Li was sent by King Zhao of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) to be governor of the Shu area, which is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China. When he arrived at the area, Li witnessed the sufferings of local people from frequent flooding of Minjiang River. Li Bing and his son then began the construction of Dujiangyan irrigation system.
It is said that he erected a stone man on the upper reaches of the Dujiangyan to measure the water level and the quantity of water diversion. Li Bing composed the rhyme easy for memory: "Dredge the riverbed when the water is deep and build low dykes when the water is low". It contains the guiding principle of dredging the waterways in ancient China.
The system brought the Minjiang River under control and distributed waters from the river to the fertile farmland of the Chengdu plains. After the completion of the project, local people were able to enjoy a better life and become self-sufficient.
Later, Li Bing led in the construction of several other water projects. Li Bing gained great fame from this accomplishment and had become a legendary figure in Chinese history. Folktales had it that Li Bing had turned into a buffalo fighting river deity.
Today, Dujiangyan is regarded as a major landmark in the development of water management and technology in China. It is still functioning perfectly. The Dujiangyan Museum was built in commemoration of Li Bing, allowing others to remember the devotion with which he served his people.
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