Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume 24

Military Logistics: Provisions and River Transport II

Head of the Distant Dike. In the 18th year of the Wanli reign 1590 CE, the old dike at Mount Feng was newly reconstructed. From the Li-character Station A designated courier or maintenance post downwards, the buffer dike is positioned far from the river water. While water is present, it must flow through the Small River Mouth and the Baiyang River to exit into the Grand Canal. Because the terrain here is low-lying and the rivers and lakes are interconnected, a "Distant Dike" yaodi A secondary, outer embankment designed to protect against extreme flood levels was not established. The defenses terminate at Guirenji, where a transverse dike was constructed of stone to suppress the danger of the river breaking its banks and changing course.

From the Zhi River to Gucheng, because the various lakes outside the river are utilized to contain and store the surging floodwaters, the high ridges on the outskirts serve as natural "Distant Dikes." Consequently, no additional construction was proposed for this section.