What did Mulanbei Weir look like?

A stone barrage weir equipped with multiple sluice gates (intake gates, flushing gates), spanning the Mulan Creek. The dam body is approximately 160m long.

How did Mulanbei Weir work?

Rising tide → close sluice gates to block saltwater intrusion → ebbing tide → open gates to release flood and flush the channel → upstream freshwater stored behind the weir → gravity-fed through intake gates to irrigate the Nanyang and Beiyang plains.

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木兰陂

Mulanbei Weir

A tidal water-control complex combining weirs and sluice gates that automatically regulates inland water levels, repels tidal seawater intrusion, and stores freshwater for irrigation.

木兰陂

Scientific Principle

Tidal water-control complex: gate operation controls flow direction, using tidal energy for sediment flushing. Automatic water-level regulation: overflow section maintains constant storage level.

木兰陂

Mulanbei Weir

Scientific Principle

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