Research on Western Regions Civilisation and Water Landscapes

Project Overview: Centring on the geographical scope of the Western Regions during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, this study examines the profound interconnection between water and Western Regions civilisation, systematically tracing the evolution of water culture and water landscapes in the region. The study divides the Western Regions into three major zones: Southern Xinjiang, Northern Xinjiang, and the Seven Rivers Region. Organised chronologically, it covers four distinct periods: the transition from nomadic hunting to agricultural civilisation (206 BCE–220 CE), the agricultural civilisation period (220–1911), the industrial civilisation period (Republic of China era – 2000), and the ecological civilisation period (2000 to present). It analyses how natural environments and social contexts shaped water law systems, hydraulic technologies, and water landscapes across these eras—such as the development of karez systems during the agricultural period, the introduction of modern hydraulic engineering in the industrial era, and the implementation of ecological water diversion projects in the ecological civilisation phase. Concurrently, drawing upon historical texts such as the Book of Han: Western Regions and Records of Waterways in the Western Regions, this research examines the evolution of water systems, hydraulic heritage, and water-related cultural significance in the Western Regions. It elucidates water's pivotal role in the geopolitics, economic development, and cultural integration of the Western Regions, thereby providing historical reference and policy foundations for the Belt and Road Initiative and ecological conservation in the Western Regions.