Atlas
Qiantang River
The world's greatest tidal bore — every year on the eighteenth day of the eighth lunar month, a wall of water roars into Hangzhou Bay with earth-shaking fury.
Prefecture: Hangzhou
Province: ZhejiangA foaming tidal front crosses the Qiantang River's broad estuary, beside sandy mudflats and golden reeds, with low distant hills softened by warm haze.
Temple1
- Haining Yanguan Qiantang River Bore Park
The premier spot in the world to view the monumental silver-crested tidal bore surging upriver.
Bridge1
- Qiantang River Bridge
China's first self-designed double-deck rail-and-road bridge built by Master Mao Yisheng in 1937.
Tower2
- Liuhe Pagoda (Six Harmonies Pagoda)
A majestic 60-meter octagonal pagoda built in 970 CE atop Yuelun Hill to pacify the tidal surge.
- Haining Yanguan Zhan'ao Pagoda & Ancient Sea Wall
The Northern Song pagoda overlooking the estuary, legendary vantage point for the Qiantang tidal bore.
Natural Wonder1
- Fuchun River
The stretch of the Qiantang through Fuyang and Tonglu, once called the Little Three Gorges, whose peaks and waters Wu Jun praised as unrivalled under heaven.
Memorial1
- Yan Ziling Fishing Terrace in Tonglu
Below Mount Fuchun south of Tonglu, the fishing spot of the Eastern Han recluse Yan Guang gained a shrine from Fan Zhongyan, who also wrote its celebrated record.
On its attractions2
- Letter to Zhu YuansiClassical ProseFuchun RiverWu Jun
Wind and mist have completely vanished; sky and mountains share the same crystalline azure. Drifting with the current, wandering freely east or west. Across the hundred leagues from Fuyang to Tonglu, the marvelous mountains and wondrous waters are peerless under Heaven.
- Record of Master Yan's Shrine in Tonglu CommanderyClassical ProseYan Ziling Fishing Terrace in TongluFan Zhongyan
Cloud-wrapped mountains boundless and azure, surging river waters vast and deep; the noble spirit of Master Yan endures lofty as the mountains and everlasting as the waters!
Authors2
- Wu Jun (Shuqing)469–520 CE
Wrote of Fuchun River in “Letter to Zhu Yuansi”. Southern Dynasties master of landscape prose (469–520 CE), founder of the 'Wu Jun style', celebrated for 'Letter to Zhu Yuansi' portraying the Fuchun River.
- Fan Zhongyan989–1052 CE
Wrote of Yan Ziling Fishing Terrace in Tonglu in “Record of Master Yan's Shrine in Tonglu Commandery”. Northern Song statesman who led the Qingli reforms, organised the defence of Shaanxi against the Xi Xia, and wrote the Record of Yueyang Tower
In its history2
- Li Yizhi1882–1938
Part of Qiantang River's history: China Builds Its Own Works. Hydraulic engineer, born Li Xie, who built the Jinghui Canal in Shaanxi, drew up the plan for the eight Guanzhong irrigation canals and chaired the Yellow River Conservancy Commission.
- Mao Yisheng1896–1989
Part of Qiantang River's history: China Builds Its Own Works. Bridge engineer who led the design and building of the Qiantang River Bridge at Hangzhou, opened to rail traffic in September 1937, and later directed its postwar repair.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms1
- Qian Liu Builds the Wuyue Dike910 CE, Wuyue
In 910, Wuyue king Qian Liu built a bamboo-cage, stone, and timber sea dike to reduce tidal damage along Hangzhou's shore.
Song1
- Su Shi Builds the Su Causeway1089 CE
In 1089, while prefect of Hangzhou, Su Shi dredged West Lake and used the silt to build the causeway later known as the Su Causeway.
Republican Era3
- China Builds Its Own Works
Li Yizhi completed the Jinghui Canal in the Guanzhong plain and Mao Yisheng built the Qiantang River Bridge: Chinese engineers began to design and build large modern irrigation and bridge works themselves.
- Qiantang River Bridge Work Begins1934
In 1934 work began in Hangzhou on Mao Yisheng's Qiantang River Bridge, where water jetting, caissons and floating overcame the problems of piling, piers and spans.
- Qiantang River Bridge Opens1937
On 26 September 1937 Mao Yisheng's Qiantang River Bridge opened, the first double-deck road and rail bridge designed and built by Chinese engineers.
