Karez
The Karez System, an irrigation system of wells connected by underground channels, is
considered as one of the three great ancient projects in China, the other two being the
Great Wall and the Grand Canal. There are in the Turpan area nearly one thousandkarez
totaling 5000 kilometers in length.The structure of the karez basically consists of wells,
underground channels, ground canals and small reservoirs. In spring and summer, a great
mount of melting snow and rainfall flow down from the Bogda and Karawuquntag mountains
north and west of the Turpan Depression into the valleys and then seep into the Gobi
Desert. Taking advantage of the mountain slopes, the working people ingeniously created
the karez to draw the underground water to irrigate the farmland. The water in karez will
not evaporate in large quantities even under the scorching heat and fierce wind, hence
ensuring a stable water flow and gravity irrigation.As far back as the Han dynasty, the
karez was recorded in Shi Ji (The Historical Records) and then called "Well-
Canals". Most of the existing karezes in the Turpan area were built in the Qing
dynasty and in after years. Nowadays, large stretches of fertile land are still irrigated
by karezes. The Wudaolin karez and the karez in the
Wuxing town are open to visitors. |
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