Located in Hedong Dian Town in Hantai District, Shanhe Weir was a great water conserving project in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province in ancient China. It is as famous as the Zhenguo River and Baigong River in Guanzhong and the Dujiang Weir in Sichuan Province. “Shanhe” refers to the current Baohe River. According to historical records, the Shanhe Weir’s construction was entrusted to Xiao He and Cao Can when Han Emperor Liu Bang was still a minister governing Nanzheng for his king. The Hanzhong Government Record mentions that Shanhe Weir actually contains three weirs: the first one called Iron Stake Weir is 1.5 km away from the city of Bao; the second weir, also the major one, is called Official Weir and is situated outside the east gate of Bao City; and the third weir is the source, 1 km away from the second weir. This well-known weir has a long history and plays an important role in developing the agriculture of Hanzhong, thus to some extent it is a critical factor in winning military battles. No wonder so many rulers attached great importance to it. During the Three Kingdoms Period, Zhuge Liang and his army stationed in Hanzhong maintained the Shanhe Weir. It was badly damaged in the Song Dynasty but repaired several times afterwards.
Shanhe Weir Attractions:
Shanhe Weir Story:
1. “Be prepared for what you will do.”
This saying originated from the story of a literati and painter named Wen Tong, a magistrate in the North Song Dynasty. He was fond of painting bamboos and writing poems about them. In fact, his painting style was known as Huzhou Bamboo School at that time. Wen Tong believed that before one started to paint bamboo, he must know for sure what exactly he was going to draw and how he would do it. Only in this way could a painter create an excellent work of art. Due to the fact that Wen Tong was not only an outstanding painter but also a good official who gained the respect and support of his people, his ideological theory about bamboo painting spread rapidly all over the country. Since then, Wen Tong has become a good example of preparing oneself to accomplish any given goal.
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