Turpan water system

The irrigation system of Turfan is a special underground well system for irrigation in the area of the city of Turpan in Xinjiang, China.

So-called Karez irrigation systems that go back to China until the time of the Western Han Dynasty, there are in China mainly in Turpan, Hami ( accumulation ) and Kucha ( Kuqa ). The Persian word Qanat (or Karez ;坎尔 井Chinese, Pinyin Kan'erjing ) denotes horizontally dug into the mountain tunnel and horizontal wells. Through them, the melt water from the mountains in underground channels is protected from evaporation led to the oases.

In Turpan Basin are including 1000 found. By this irrigation system can be the deep groundwater, which comes from the melted snow of the Tianshan Mountains inferred. The depth of the pit is up to 70 m and length of a subterranean channel about 10 km. The channels of the irrigation system of Turpan have a total length of about 5000 km.

The irrigation system is called together with the Great Wall and the Grand Canal as the " Three man-made Major Construction Projects " (三大 工程, Sanda Gongcheng ).

Under the name Kan'erjing Dixia Shuili Gongcheng (坎尔 井 地下 水利工程) it is since 2006 on the list of monuments of the People's Republic of China ( 6-1077 ).