The Karez System

the karez system，an irrigation system connected by underground channels，is considered as one of the three great ancient projects in china，the other two being the great wall and the grand canal.there are nearly one thousand karez totaling five thousand kilometers in length in turpan.

The structure of the karez basically consists of wells，undergroundchannels，ground canal and small reserstoirs.in spring and summer，a great amount of melting snow and rainfall flow down from the bogda and karawuquntag mountains north and west of the turpan depression into the valleys and then seep into the gobi desert.taking advantage of the moun-tain slopes，the working people ingeniously created the karez to draw the underground water to irrigate the farmland.the water in the karez will not evaporate in large quantities even under the scorching heat and fierce wind，hence ensuring a stable water flow and gravity irrigation.

As far back as the han dynasty，the karez was recorded in shi i（the historical records）and then called“well canal”.most of the existing karez in the turpan area were built during the qing dynasty and in after years.

nowadays large stretches of fertile oasis land are still irrigated by karezes.

the karez in the wuxing township are open to visitors.

qingquang

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