Dujiangyan 都江堰 & Qingchengshan 青城山

Dujiangyan 都江堰 (Dūjiāngyàn) is an ancient irrigation system on the Min River. Instead of relying on a conventional dam, it divides and regulates the river using channels, embankments and carefully controlled water flow. The system transformed the Chengdu Plain into one of China's most productive agricultural regions.

Mount Qingcheng 青城山 (Qīngchéng Shān) is closely associated with Taoism. Its wooded slopes, temples and stairways provide a very different atmosphere from Chengdu's urban attractions.

Why combine them

The two sites lie close enough to make a logical full-day excursion from Chengdu: engineering and history in the morning, followed by the quieter mountain environment of Qingchengshan.