Adaptive Water Conservancy Management for Floods in the Suzhou Area from the Late Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty
Received date: 2025-06-19
Revised date: 2025-09-01
Online published: 2026-03-17
Copyright
This study investigated the history and technical experience of adaptive water management in Suzhou under flood conditions using historical documents and hydrogeological and archaeological data. The Suzhou area developed agricultural water conservancy by constructing an integrated water network of large-scale polders, known as diked-canal polders or tangpu weitian. Higher dikes were constructed while developing low-lying polder areas, and the clear water from Taihu Lake was diverted to the coastal areas with higher elevations for irrigation. The tangpu weitian system supported the water conservancy foundation for a stable and high-quality irrigation and drainage environment between the low- and high-lying areas of Suzhou. Floods in Suzhou intensified after the destruction of the tangpu weitian system during the early Northern Song Dynasty. The Northern Song government emphasized water management in the low-lying plains centered on Suzhou via the implementation of numerous drainage projects, excavation of river channels, construction of sluice gates, and reclamation projects in a waterlogged environment. Land reclamation in the waterlogged lake and marshland areas centered on Suzhou intensified during the Southern Song Dynasty, when the government was responsible for dredging and digging waterways; therefore, the canal system centered on Suzhou was constructed. The water flow of Taihu Lake and surrounding lakes is regulated by the Suzhou Canal system and discharged into the Wusong River. An analysis of the water conservancy management model of Suzhou Ancient City from the late Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty revealed that the water network of Suzhou Ancient City played a central role in flood regulation of the Taihu Lake plain area. The high groundwater level, effective lake regulation system, and vast aquatic environment influenced by floods were the environmental foundation for Suzhou Ancient City, which was a water conservancy hub of the eastern Taihu Lake plain during the Northern Song Dynasty. The main models for flood and water resource management in Suzhou Ancient City during the Song Dynasty were to draw better water resources from Taihu Lake into the city and create freshwater flow. The river network of Suzhou Ancient City integrated functions such as water diversion, drainage, and transportation, fully utilizing rainwater and flood resources. These experiences and models provide good reference values for future water conservancy.
Key words: Taihu Lake Plain; historical floods; Suzhou Ancient City; adaptation; management; river system
Qing Zhou , Junfan Wu , Ping Chen . Adaptive Water Conservancy Management for Floods in the Suzhou Area from the Late Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty[J]. Tropical Geography, 2026 , 46(3) : 444 -457 . DOI: 10.13284/j.cnki.rddl.20250418
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