Tian Gong Kai Yan venue opens at Dujiangyan on 17 October
Published on 10/18/2026 at 02:50 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Tian Gong Kai Yan were linked in Chengdu on 13 October 2026, when the new heritage experience venue was announced at the historic waterworks. The venue was scheduled to open on 17 October 2026 beside Fulong Viewpoint, giving visitors a new way to explore the engineering story of Dujiangyan.
The announcement also identifies the site as a visitor venue within the scenic area, rather than a separate attraction elsewhere in China. Its opening date falls inside the current autumn travel window for Western European visitors.
Tian Gong Kai Yan opens beside Dujiangyan on 17 October
The nearly 6,000-square-metre venue combines live performance, intangible cultural heritage and digital presentation. It was announced on 13 October 2026, with formal public opening scheduled for 17 October 2026. The date and location appear together in the opening announcement for Tian Gong Kai Yan.
The programme has three sections. The main theatre presents Tian Gong Kai Yan through a dynamic water-management model, while a second area uses music, dance and audience interaction to explore historical stories. A third space presents a shadow-puppet performance connected with the legend of Li Bing and his son controlling the river.
The main performance condenses more than 2,000 years of engineering history into a stage presentation using actors, a mechanical water stage and digital projection. That format gives the new venue a direct connection with the diversion works outside: visitors can encounter an explanation of water management before examining the working channels and river structures in the scenic area.
How the new venue relates to the ancient waterworks
The Dujiangyan Irrigation System was built in 256 BC under Li Bing, then governor of Shu Prefecture during the Qin dynasty. It stands on the Minjiang River west of Dujiangyan City and west of the Chengdu Plain, where it continues to support irrigation, flood control, sediment management and flow control.
The system uses natural topography and hydrology rather than a conventional dam. Its principal elements are the Yuzui diversion dike, the Feisha weir and the Baopingkou inlet. UNESCO records that Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System joined the World Cultural Heritage list in 2000; the same UNESCO description of the irrigation system notes its continuing agricultural role.
The new venue therefore adds interpretation at the edge of a functioning heritage landscape. Its dynamic model focuses on the principles behind diversion and flood management, while the outdoor visit reveals the channels, embankments and river setting that still express those principles.
Visiting Dujiangyan Irrigation System: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Tian Gong Kai Yan was scheduled to open on 17 October 2026 beside Fulong Viewpoint inside the Dujiangyan scenic area.
- The new venue adds three visitor areas: a dynamic model theatre, an interactive performance space and a shadow-puppet area linked to the site's historical stories.
- The wider heritage site lies on the Minjiang River west of Dujiangyan City and west of the Chengdu Plain in Sichuan, China.
- The outdoor heritage landscape includes the Yuzui diversion dike, Feisha weir and Baopingkou inlet, so the visit combines an interpretive venue with open river and water-management structures.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Dujiangyan Irrigation System
When did Tian Gong Kai Yan open at Dujiangyan Irrigation System?
The venue was scheduled to open on 17 October 2026 beside Fulong Viewpoint inside the scenic area.
What is the Dujiangyan Irrigation System?
It is a functioning irrigation and flood-management system built in 256 BC on the Minjiang River in Sichuan.
Where is Dujiangyan Irrigation System and how do you get there?
The site is west of Dujiangyan City and west of the Chengdu Plain in China, on the Minjiang River.
