In 214 BC,
Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of the
Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), ordered the construction of a canal connecting the Xiang and the Li rivers, in order to
attack the
Baiyue tribes in the south. The architect who designed the canal was Shi Lu (). It is the oldest
contour canal in the world, The canal also aided
water conservation by diverting up to a third of the flow of the Xiang to the Li. ==See also==