Wubei Zhi (Vol. 60) (Unknown) - Page 22

Account of the Huai River Floods and Embankments

In the Year of the Snake original: "Si nian." Given the context of the Wanli era mentioned later, this likely refers to the catastrophic floods of 1581., a massive breach occurred. The waters of the Huai River and the surrounding lakes surged toward the east, merging the waters of Baima, Siguang, and other lakes. The deluge broke through the eight shallows of the Yellow RiverDuring this period, the Yellow River and Huai River systems were inextricably linked, often sharing the same lower channel to the sea., turning Shanyang, Gaoyou, Baoying, and various other districts into a vast inland sea. Every year during the fourth and fifth lunar months, the people of Huaiyin must use baskets of earth to seal the gates and crevices of the city walls. While people can still move in and out, the streets and alleys within the city are only navigable by boat. Once the Huai waters are stored in the east, they eventually push back; the muddy flow The silt-heavy Yellow River surges westward into the Clear Mouth original: "Qingkou," the strategic confluence where the Huai met the Yellow River and the Grand Canal., which consequently becomes choked with silt. When the floodwaters travel over the land, the area available for drainage is not even half that of the Clear Mouth channel. Inevitably, the water stalls at the source, and the region between Fengyang and Sizhou The location of the Ming Imperial Ancestral Tombs. also becomes a vast submerged wasteland. Therefore, this embankment is the linchpin for both rivers The Yellow and the Huai, and serves as more than just a dike for the Huai River alone. Former drainage route Open

Map and Record of Huai’an Prefectural City

Fir Wood Sluice original: "Shan Zha." The dike near the Huai’an city walls is the most dangerous section. Currently, the Hu Dam and the West Bridge stand tall against each other. The dike measures eighteen zhangA unit of length; 18 zhang is approximately 60 meters or 196 feet. in height, and near the Zhong Dam, it exceeds three zhang. Huai’an Prefecture Shanyang County The New City Wusha River Putou Fu Temple Secondary Station Liu-Ling Terrace Fan Family Mouth Stone Embankment Shijia Hollow Secondary Station

Chronicles of the Caoqing River

The Caoqing River was excavated in the 32nd year of the Jiajing era1553.. At the time it was opened, it provided a route to the Prefectural City, but it was later blocked. In the 17th year of the Wanli era1589., it was reopened and expanded, capturing seven-tenths of the flow from the main river channel. At the Red Yan Temple, it returns to the Great River. The residents living outside of Qingjiangpu rely on this river for their safety and stability. However, the surface of this river is only one-third the width of the main river; consequently, the upstream flow inevitably experiences some slight delays.