At first, we had no engineering in this world.

Or to put it another way, our planet itself is a project, but the engineers are not built by us.

Later, slowly, we began to change the environment in which we lived little by little, from ancient semi-cave residences to current skyscrapers, highways, airports, dams...

Most of the projects that existed two thousand years ago have disappeared now; we don't know how many of the projects we are getting larger and larger now will survive two thousand years later.

Like most people of my generation, I have visited many scenic spots across the country over the years, but found that most of them have actually gone through disasters, built and destroyed, destroyed and rebuilt, destroyed in troubled times, and stood in a prosperous age: It seems that most famous projects are glass-like pets that can be seen and used by people in times of peace, but most of them are in danger of self-protection in times of war and chaos.

So when I drove for several hours to arrive at the place called Dujiangyan, I was very surprised.

China's terrain is naturally complex, and there are all kinds of terrains available. However, there are only four famous basins, three of which are sandwiched between deserts or wastelands and are rarely visited by people. The only one named Sichuan Basin seems to be the exclusive favor of heaven and has long been known for its fertile land. If there is any crucial difference, it is probably the water source. Human survival is always inseparable from water source.

The water in the Sichuan Basin comes from the west. However, having water does not mean that there is water available. The west of the Sichuan Basin is so high that after the great geographical discovery, we suddenly understood that there was no place higher in the world than this. It was originally the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau!

The task of taming the water source was handed over to Li Bing and his son, who were sent to take charge of that place during the Qin Dynasty. If the Qin Dynasty is always associated with cruelty and short-lived life in our minds today, in fact, the Chinese people at that time did many extraordinary things. The few small copper chariots and horses beside the curtain of the First Emperor were enough to convince the modern technology that we are proud of.

The Li and his son spent their entire lives in the border areas of China at that time, and now they are worshipped as gods; Dujiangyan has been lying there for more than 2,000 years, and still irrigates thousands of miles of Chengdu Plain and supports China's most populous province.

When I was walking in that weir area, if it were not for the guides and signs constantly reminding me, I couldn't even feel that it was a significant water conservancy project. I just felt that it was a person swimming in a painting...

This weir is really a miracle.

Tired from walking, I leaned down and held a handful of cool Minjiang River water, thinking about the reason why this thousand-year-old strange weir has survived forever: I think there are only two things.

One is to benefit the people.

In fact, most of the projects in ancient China were underground. Regardless of whether emperors and generals were accomplished or incompetent during their lifetime, they all knew how to build their tombs strong and strong. However, even so, they would inevitably be dug up by later generations, or be riddled with holes here and there by tomb raiders. It is terrible to see if you encounter a boorish man like Sun Dianying again, you will have to admit that you are unlucky. Even if it has not been dug up for the time being like the Qin Mausoleum, it would be difficult for our Emperor Ying Zheng to live in an underground palace where the mercury content still exceeds the standard for a long time after his death.

Even if the mausoleum is like this, the buildings on the ground are even more fragile. Afang Palace was built by the government of the previous dynasty. The replacement would not like it naturally, so they should burn it down. The Daming Palace was once prosperous for a while, but today it can only barely confirm the ruins. Even the Forbidden City, which is only a few hundred years old, would have a fate if it were not for the efforts of the elites to protect it; The outer city of Beijing, which was originally designed to protect the emperor and protect the people, was once very majestic, but now it has lost its original function and will inevitably be demolished.

However, Dujiangyan is still intact and has been constantly repaired. Successive governments, whether it is a prosperous or short-lived dynasty, have regarded the construction of dams as the top priority of government affairs. This is also the reason why the weir and stele road at the gate of Dujiangyan is so long-no ruler will have trouble with drinking water. Even if you are stupid, even if you are cruel, even if you are retarded, you still understand the principle that people need to drink water. The people that Li Bing and his son "benefit" are people regardless of their status. Everyone in the biological sense living in the Chengdu Plain.

The second is to keep a low profile.

Our labor resources are now greatly abundant, and construction machinery is also particularly abundant. Therefore, building the world's tallest building and the world's largest dam no longer attracts the attention of Chinese people so much. However, I very much doubt whether this is necessary and whether it will last long. Often, when I work on a floor of more than 30 floors, I will think about our chances of escaping if we encounter an earthquake or September 11 situation. How many of these reinforced and concrete rectangular structures on Shanghai Beach will be left after 2,000 years...

Dujiangyan is in perfect harmony with the scenery and environment around it. In the west, there is endless river water coming from the sky. The surrounding area is lush mountains and forests and even the unique scenery of Qingcheng. In the east, it is the land of abundance that it nurtures... However, this weir itself has nothing strange and ingenious. The wisdom of people from all dynasties and generations is quietly integrated into it. Only after patient explanation can we understand it a little. For the people who manage Dujiangyan, there are simple formulas such as "dig deep into the beach and make a weir low" that ordinary craftsmen can follow.

This is a real big project.

The journey back to Chengdu is still bumpy. Dujiangyan City, at least from my comparison, is not a prosperous and developed place. It is basically a city. It can be easily inferred that the living conditions here in ancient times would have been relatively difficult, so the officials and masses who worked hard to maintain the river weirs here in successive dynasties were all very remarkable.

As for politics, this should be the case, I think.