Flooding In The Wanhe River Basin During The Qing Dynasty

During the Qing Dynasty,the Wanhe River Basin was one of the most active regions in Anhui Province.And Huaining County,Wangjiang County,Qianshan County,and Taihu County make up the majority of counties in the basin.The basin has a long history and convenient transportation,and it has spawned notable cultures such as Huangmei Opera and Tongcheng School,etc.With regular exchanges of cold and warm currents and crisscrossing rivers,this region has a subtropical monsoon climate.In the northwest,the terrain is normally higher,whereas,in the southeast,it is lower.For a long time,people have lived here and worked in a systematic manner.Moreover,flood disasters in this area were particularly significant during the Qing Dynasty,and the frequency and magnitude of disasters were rising,manifesting mostly as extended rain,heavy rain and waterlogging,floods,and water crossing over from other regions.During the Qing Dynasty,flood disasters in the Wanhe River Basin could be classified into three categories: mild,moderate,and severe.Flood disasters cause varying degrees of damage,ranging from inundation of farmland in moderate situations to loss of grain yields or harvest failure in severe cases,and even the loss of family sideline productions.Furthermore,flood failure can result in varying degrees of population loss,such as drowning,famine,and economic losses,such as washing away houses and livestock,causing price increases,etc.People become desperate,self-anesthetized,and even cannibalism in the face of frequent calamities,betrayal of spouses and children,disasters,and other occurrences that threaten societal stability.In the process of fighting against floods,a comprehensive system for coping with floods was gradually developed by the officials and the people in the Wanhe River basin.Officials planned flood rescue and relocation at the time of the disasters,while the nobility and clans of the people also actively began relief operations.Following the disasters,officials arranged post-disaster reconstruction and production restoration,supplied relief goods,and temporarily suspended taxes to relieve the affected people's burden.At the same time,a system of daily flood-prevention efforts was in place,focusing on the repair and building of water-conservation projects,warehouse operation and administration,and the development of philanthropic organizations,etc.Even in today's technologically advanced world,China's flooding problem has not been fully resolved,and the problems of flooded cities,wrecked infrastructure,and drowned people continue to exist in various degrees.The solution to the practical problem cannot rely just on scientific and technological advancement,it must also draw on historical wisdom.And it is believed that flood coping measures adopted in the Wanhe River Basin during the Qing Dynasty still may provide some reference value to solving today's flooding challenges in China.