🇨🇳 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-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.
🇨🇳 China · Ancient city
Jinsha Archaeological Site
Shu Late Bronze 1200–500 BCE · Shu–Sichuan Basin (successor to Sanxingdui)
Late Bronze Age ritual centre (1200–500 BCE) on Modi River at Chengdu, successor to Sanxingdui after its abrupt collapse c.1200 BCE, preserving elite sacrificial pits, gold foil sun-bird foil (now…