The Longshou Canal and Ancient Luohe River Irrigation district in Shaanxi province has been granted world heritage status as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure recently, marking the third such designation in Shaanxi since 2016, according to local authorities.

World Heritage Irrigation Structures are named by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, which is an international scientific non-governmental organization established in 1950, according to its official website. It has 78 members worldwide, covering over 95 percent of the irrigated area of the world.

The Longshou Canal and Ancient Luohe River Irrigation district is located in Weinan city of Shaanxi province. Historical records showed it was built during the rule of Emperor Wu during the Han Dynasty (156-87 BC). The district is said to have made use of the "shaft-tunnel" method, and reputed as the first underground canal in Chinese history.

The canal was developed from generation to generation, helping divert water from the Luohe River, an important branch of the Yellow River, to provide irrigation to the central Shaanxi area, watering 49,533 hectares of farmland.

Check out this video to see the Longshou Canal and Ancient Luohe River Irrigation district as it appears now.

Video by Du Fan.