Water from the Xijiang River

The author delves deep into the frontlines of this monumental engineering project， conducting interviews with over 200 key participants， amassing more than a million words of raw field notes and nearly 100 GB of digital images and videos， providing an authentic account of the construction process of this super project. The book vividly portrays the collective efforts of a group of “National Worker Vanguard” and “Role Models of the Era，” while also offering an in-depth narrative of the ecological wisdom and innovative domestic technology involved in this “super project” in water conservancy.

The Pulsating Bay Area: A Chronicle of the National Super Underground Water Diversion Project

Zhao Chuan

Flower City Publishing House

April 2024

70.00 (CNY)

Zhao Chuan

Zhao Chuan is a writer and veteran media professional with over 30 years of experience in academia and the media industry. He is a member of the China Writers Association and the Chinese Reportage Association， as well as a senior journalist.

On December 10， 2023， the third day after the traditional Chinese solar term “Daxue” (Major Snow)， the southern land of China was still lush with greenery， brimming with vitality， showing no sign of winter. At Liyuzhou Island in Shunde District， Foshan City — the water intake area of the Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation Project (hereinafter referred to as the “Pearl River Delta Water Project”) — the high sky and clouds reflected on the water， creating a dynamic scene of light and shadow. At this moment， the majestic Xijiang River flowed wide and deep， seemingly unchanged on the surface， yet subtly altered in its silent course.

Ten days prior， the ancient waters of the Xijiang River branched off at Liyuzhou Island， beginning a historic transformation from southward flow to an eastward direction. From now on， it will generously divert 1.7 billion cubic meters of fresh， clear water each year to quench the “thirst” of the cities on the eastern side of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Xijiang River originates from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau， gathering tributaries from Yunnan， Guizhou， Guangxi， and Guangdong provinces along its 2，000-kilometer journey. As the largest tributary of the Pearl River system， it is renowned as China’s second-largest river by water resources. However， for the Greater Bay Area， especially the eastern part， the “affectionate Dongjiang River” has always been more beloved. The people living there have every reason to be grateful for nature’s gifts and for the water diversion projects built by their predecessors. Meanwhile， the Xijiang River， which has nurtured countless lives in southwest China， has remained relatively unknown. With the realization of the Greater Bay Area’s dream of “transferring water from the west to the east，” the two mighty rivers， the Dongjiang and Xijiang — long separated by the Lingdingyang — are now poised for a historic “handshake and embrace.” The vision of the “meeting of the twin dragons in the Bay Area，” a dream that has been in the making for at least twenty years， has finally come true for this generation. People living in the 2020s are now viewing the Xijiang River with fresh eyes， integrating this vast mother river into their daily lives in the Bay Area.

Liyuzhou， a once-desolate island anchored firmly in the rushing waters of the lower Xijiang River within Shunde’s borders， has now been infused with vibrant life through human ingenuity. This island， once dotted with wastelands and fish ponds， has been meticulously redesigned and reshaped over nearly five years by large machinery working day and night. Today， with its dynamic and modern appearance， the island is poised to embark on a new chapter in history. Early in the morning， representatives from the construction units of various sections of the Pearl River Delta Water Project gathered on a platform behind the forebay of the water intake area. This group， wearing hard hats， work clothes of different styles， and reflective vests， represented various construction teams and was there in a low-key， informal manner to witness a historic moment.

At 9 a.m.， the event officially began. Project managers from each section appeared in turn， declaring， “We are ready!” Amid the stirring strains of the national anthem， Xu Yeqin， chairman of the Guangdong Yuehai Pearl River Delta Water Supply Co.， Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the “Pearl River Delta Water Supply Company”)， announced， “Begin water releasing!” The waters of the Xijiang River， which had been lingering in the forebay， immediately surged into the long intake channel.

Looking down from the railings， this initial surge of water was clear and bright， a vibrant blue. If the Xijiang River were sentient， it would remember that for this moment of clarity， countless builders worked tirelessly for over 2，000 days and nights since 2018. Many people left their homes and families， working under the stars and the moon， with some aging visibly from the effort， all in anticipation of this day.

The water charging event lasted just half an hour. There were no grand speeches or emotional exchanges; everything appeared calm and ordinary， much like the steady flow of the Xijiang River itself — deep， subdued， and profound.

Today， we witnessed history and were fortunate enough to be part of it. The Xijiang River， which has flowed for millions of years， has changed its ancient course， directing a powerful stream of water into a new historical channel.

This is an era of dream-making， where ordinary people， through over 2，000 days and nights of immense effort， have created a human miracle. With the completion of the Pearl River Delta Water Project， water from the Xijiang River will be channeled over long distances underground to the eastern regions of the Pearl River Delta， ensuring a stable water supply for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Under the influence of gravitational potential energy created by elevation differences， the first stream of Xijiang River water made its way underground for 41 kilometers over five days， finally reaching the Gaoxinsha Reservoir in Guangzhou’s Nansha District. This moment， when the water first surfaced， was met with the excitement and applause of onlookers， as if a star had made a grand entrance. With this fresh flow continuously pouring in， the newly constructed reservoir at this key point of the project announced its successful initial water storage.

If the first stream of Xijiang River water that entered the channel marked the beginning of an unprecedented mission， then ten days later， with the support of pumping stations， a larger volume of water began a new journey as the high-level water tank was put into operation.

The day the water was released was a Sunday. Looking out from a high vantage point， under the blue sky and white clouds， a series of white buildings of varying heights transformed Liyuzhou Island — a barren island just four years ago — into a majestic and beautiful landscape.

At 11 a.m.， as everyone joined in a countdown， the scene switched to the high-level water tank. Initially， a stream of water swirled and filled the overflow weir within the circular tank. Soon， the multi-level， staggered water channels began to overflow rapidly， creating a cascading effect that generated a mist. From above， the towering high-level water tank on Liyuzhou Island appeared like a giant lotus flower blooming amidst the swirling mist. The beauty of its rhythm， design， and geometry was truly breathtaking.

Climbing the work ladder to the top of the high-level water tank， more than 30 meters above ground， one could take in the entire island at a glance. The weather was perfect， with boats still sailing on the Xijiang River and the scenery on both banks remaining picturesque. In the future， as this area becomes a water source， more attention will be paid to ecological conservation. The Xijiang River will contribute even more beauty and vitality to the Greater Bay Area. The vast regions of the eastern Pearl River Delta will thus say goodbye to their history of water scarcity， and ecological compensation and restoration will unfold across the land.

The Greater Bay Area， blessed by nature， presents a beautiful landscape where ink-like hues blend seamlessly into a harmonious whole.

For the entire Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area， this is a significant moment. Through the immense power of human engineering， the Xijiang River water has been “lifted” to a height of over 20 meters. Two fully charged underground water transfer lines were instantly infused with enormous energy. After 41 seconds， this energy will reach the Gaoxinsha Reservoir， located dozens of kilometers away.

In another ten days， the Xijiang River water， having been briefly stored in the Gaoxinsha Reservoir in Guangzhou’s Nansha District after its journey from Liyuzhou Island in Foshan， will be “lifted” once more to the top of a 71-meter-tall pressure tower. This supercharged water stream will then travel eastward through the underground system， passing through Dongguan and Shenzhen， until it reaches the Luotian Pump Station， completing the final leg of its journey. Finally， the Xijiang River water will arrive at the endpoint of the water transfer project — Shenzhen’s Gongming Reservoir. This marks the end of a 113.2-kilometer mainline journey. From now on， not only will the water needs of millions along the way be secured， but Hong Kong， the “Pearl of the Orient，” will also have a new emergency backup water source.

The successful completion of water transfer trial operations at the Liyuzhou， Gaoxinsha， and Luotian pump stations signifies that after nearly five years of hard work by over 70，000 builders， the main construction of the Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation Project， the major national water conservancy project and landmark project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong- Macao Greater Bay Area — designed to deliver 80 cubic meters of water per second， with an annual water transfer volume of over 1.7 billion cubic meters and a total investment of 35.4 billion yuan — is essentially complete. This achievement indicates that， despite facing four major risks — deep burial， high water head， multiple crossings， and complex geology — this super water transfer project for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area miraculously achieved the goal of “water transfer six months ahead of schedule，” completing what was once considered an “almost impossible task.”

In the 21st century East， a super underground water dragon has embarked on its historic journey to nourish the Greater Bay Area.