On June 5, the award ceremony for the inclusion of the Thirty-Six Weirs of Baisha River among World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) was held on the occasion of the second Lu Wentai Water Management Culture Festival organized along the magnificent banks of the Baisha River.

Ding Kunlun, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage and honorary vice chairman of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage; Jiang Ruhua, Party Group member and deputy director of the Provincial Water Resources Department, among other provincial and local leaders attended the event.

The success of the application of the Thirty-Six Weirs of Baisha River as WHIS on December 8, 2020 represents a valuable achievement of the practice of Xi Jinping’s ideology of ecological civilization, and is also an international recognition for the Wucheng District.

On behalf of the Wucheng District Government, Cai Yan, Party secretary of the District Committee, congratulated the official recognition of the Thirty-Six Weirs of Baisha River and thanked all those who put forth efforts toward and brought contributions to the cause. She said, “Following the successful application of the Thirty-Six Weirs of Baisha River [as WHIS], the influence and fame of the Wucheng District has constantly been growing. Setting the Baisha River as cultural core, the Wucheng District is building up influential circles of economic activity, ecological vitality, and cultural entertainment.

The application process has also received extensive support and assistance from people from all walks of life, including music composers, filmmakers, scholars, researchers, and local entrepreneurs.

On the day of the event, participating leaders unveiled the ceremonial monument for the Thirty-Six Weirs of Baisha River and inaugurated the Exhibition Hall of Thirty-Six Weirs of Baisha River Irrigation Project. (By Su Xiaojie, translated by Marco Lovisetto, edited by Mariam Ayad)