Author(s)

Zhao Zihan ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Jiangxi Normal University, Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330022, China

Corresponding Author

Zhao Zihan

ABSTRACT

The Wei River is on the north side and the Qinling Mountains are in the south of the Guanzhong Plain. The Jing, Wei, Ba, Chan, Feng, Lao, Hao, and Yu Rivers were collectively called the "Eight Waters" and made up the basic water system of Chang'an. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, five canals were built using the natural rivers to extend the functions of the Eight Waters system for urban water supply, irrigation, grain transport and flood control, and also to shape the location and space of the capital. Therefore, the Eight Waters were no longer natural rivers but hydraulic systems that supported the operation of Chang'an; gradually, they were integrated into Tang poetry and the city's landscape and became rich symbols of culture and history. The eight waters and Chang'an are closely linked in the system of water management, transportation, urban life and literature, and natural water environments have played an important role in the construction and operation of the imperial city.

KEYWORDS

Chang'an during the Sui and Tang dynasties; Eight Waters; Guanzhong Plain

CITE THIS PAPER

Zhao Zihan. Water-System Foundations of Chang'an's "Heavenly Provision for All Nations" during the Sui and Tang Dynasties: The "Eight Waters Surrounding Chang'an". Journal of Sociology and Ethnology (2026). Vol. 8, No. 2, 103-108. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/jsoce.2026.080214.

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