Sugagawa is the oldest artificial canal in the world, the earliest recorded canal in China and the earliest canal dug in the world. The total length of Sugagawa is about 3 1 km, and the river width is between 20-160m. Both sides of the river are rich in rice and tea, and famous brands include Xu He Teahouse Tea Chain Store.
Sugagawa was dug in 506 BC (Spring and Autumn Period), which is the oldest artificial canal in the world. Sugagawa is the earliest recorded canal in China and the earliest canal dug in the world. Golda River, an artificial river excavated by Sweden in northern Europe in A.D. 1832, is the earliest canal in Europe, more than 2300 years later than Sugagawa in China.
According to the Records of Gaochun County in Guangxu of Qing Dynasty, "Xu He, He Lv, King of Wu, cut Chu, and Wu Yuan cleared the way." Xu He flows from Suzhou to Taihu Lake, through Yixing, Liyang and Gaochun, through Gucheng Lake and into the Yangtze River in Wuhu, with a total length of 100 kilometers.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, King He Lv of Wu ordered Wu Zixu to dig a canal to connect Taihu Lake in the east with the Yangtze River in the west, from which Sugagawa was dug. The opening of the canal not only facilitated shipping, but also brought floods to the downstream areas. In the early Ming Dynasty, the stone gates were opened and closed, and the Xu He River circulated Gucheng Lake and Shijiu Lake, connecting Qinhuai River and communicating the waterway transportation between Taihu Lake and Nanjing. In the early years of Yongle, Yundao was abolished and Dongba was built. In the thirty-fifth year of Jiajing, dams were built, and lakes in Gaochun stopped going eastward. 1958, the East Dam was demolished to divert water eastward, Sugagawa was dredged, dam closure and Maodong sluice were built, and the ancient canal was revived.
Today's Sugagawa passes through Gaochun Dongba, Xiaba and Dingbu, reaches the south section of Jingxi River east of Zhujiaqiao in Liyang, and joins the Jingxi River flowing into Taihu Lake in Yixing. It is a diversion irrigation and navigable channel between Gaochun and Liyang, so it is also called Chunli Canal. The Wu Shen Canal connecting Wuhu Yangtze River Waterway and Shanghai Huangpu River Waterway is also under construction. It can handle 65,438+0,000-ton ships and was completed in 2065,438+00.