Dujiangyan Drawing Off Festival

Dujiangyan situated in Chengdu plain proudly flaunts its unique irrigation system designed almost 2,200 years ago and still bringing great benefits to the habitants of Chengdu. To celebrate the success in achieving control over flood caused by the Minging river, a festival known as the famous Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festival is conducted every year. You can experience this famous occasion while traveling in Chengdu declaring man's triumph over one of nature's greatest power, the river.

History of Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festival

Successful irrigation holds prime importance in Chengdu, a region dominated by agriculture from the ancient time and so Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festival is observed every year to pay homage to Li Bing, the hero of Dujiangyan irrigation system. Thousands of years ago, Chengdu was often flooded by the mighty Minjiang river taking severe tolls on human life and property. Li Bing, a contemporary local official came forward to put an end to people's miseries. After careful survey and lot of hard work Li Bing together with his worthy son planned an ingenious strategy to tame the Mingiang river. According to the plan, they divided the river in numerous channels, built dike to split the river in two parts and spillways giving vents to stored water. Since then the fertile land of Chengdu is free from the threat of flood and reaps a rich harvest every year. Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festival commemorates the remarkable feat of Li Bing ushering fertility, affluence and peace to Chengdu.

Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festival at present

The annual drawing-off event in the Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festival at the Pure Brightness Festival is observed on 5th April every year. Actually th Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festival startedIn the year of 978. The festival of drawing off water after cutting cofferdam was no longer held when a Watergate was built in 1957. In 1990, the Dujiangyan Drawing Off Festival was resumed by holding mock cofferdam cutting and traditional worship activities. Lantern exhibitions, street performances, flower and goods trade activities are other attractions of the festival.