Irrigation projects get world heritage designation (4)

Chongyi Shangbao Terraces in Jiangxi province. (HE JIANGHUA/FOR CHINA DAILY)

Chongyi Shangbao Terraces cover 3,400 hectares in mountainous areas of Jiangxi province, inclining from an altitude of 280 meters to 1,260 meters above sea level.

Construction of the terraces began around the time of the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC-AD 220) dynasties, and they have developed into a sophisticated and sustainable irrigation network. The average grain harvest per mu (0.067 hectare) of the terrace has reached over 500 kilograms.

Besides the four Chinese projects, 15 irrigation projects from Australia, India, Iraq, Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka were also honored this year.

So far, 140 projects from 18 countries have been listed.