World Cultural Heritage: Mt. Qingcheng and Dujiangyan (5)

Heritage value

According to the second item of the first article in the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, a single or connected architectural complex that has prominent universal value in terms of architectural style, distribution and connection with the environment is considered to have world heritage, and according to the third point in the same article, human engineering, combined engineering of labor and nature or archaeological sites that has prominent universal value are said to have world cultural heritage, and Mt. Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan all fit the definition of cultural heritage perfectly. In terms of the authenticity, among the old and well-known water conservancy projects, the Narl-Hammurabi channel built on the Euphrates in ancient Babylonia and the artificial flume of Ancient Rome have already been deserted. Only the Dujiangyan was handed down, which has a history of more than 2,000 years and is the only retained great water conservancy project with the characteristics of drawing water without a dam. It takes full advantage of the local terrain with high land in the northwest and low land in the southeast, and draws water according to the special geography, water vein and hydraulic potential at the mountain pass.

At the same time, it integrates the dike, water distribution, flood discharge, sediment diversion and current control, ensures flood control, irrigation, water transportation and other functions. The construction of the Dujiangyan, which did not destroy natural resources but take full advantage of them to serve humans as the premise, and has a high degree of harmony and unity between humans, the terrain and water, is rarely seen in the world water conservancy projects and embodies the great wisdom and skills of the working people in ancient China. The Dujiangyan is the only great ecological engineering project retained today. Mt. Qingcheng, as an important source of China’s Taoism, was valued throughout history and had an important position either in society or in Taoism. The Taoist architectural complex not only reflects the characteristics of the Taoist architecture from all ages, but also maintains the styles of the southwest architecture. Therefore, Mt. Qingcheng has important historical and religious significance and architectural connotations.