Jīngyáng

Jingyang's fields depended on water brought through the gorge of the Jing River, but the river's falling bed and heavy sediment repeatedly frustrated irrigation. The Ming Guanghui Canal required difficult cutting through rock and frequent repairs. In 1652 magistrate Jin Handing attempted to restore it. Stone barriers against the river were vulnerable to floods; excavating farther into the rock revealed springs that could supply the channel as well.

Repairs followed in 1669 and again under the Yongzheng government in 1727. Two years later, a specialist water official was stationed at Wangqiao to oversee maintenance. In 1737 the intake was blocked against the muddy river, and the system relied instead on Longdong and other springs. Renamed the Longdong Canal, it continued to irrigate Jingyang and neighbouring counties through a smaller, less sediment-laden supply.