Ep 56: Yellow River Part 2 - Humans will Overcome Heaven 黄河历史2: 人定胜天

In this episode we talk about the "high reward / high risk" stage of Imperial Chinese hydraulic management during the Late Ming to late Qing dynasties. 

Vast amounts of money, material, and expertise were poured into keeping the yellow river forced into a narrow, rapid channel. These efforts allowed the entire vast Chinese canal and irrigation system to function (including the grand canal), but at the price of constant vigilance. The river never rested, and a single season of negligence could undo years of careful maintenance. 

We also discuss the men who managed this system "Confucian Engineers" and use the 1841 levee breach at Kaifeng of an example of how the system operated and responded to emergencies.

If you'd like to see illustrated examples of some of the tools and methods described in this episode, the National University of Taiwan has a digitized copy of a Qing Dynasty illustrated river management handbook here:
https://taiwanebook.ncl.edu.tw/zh-tw/book/NTUL-9900013371/reader

For additional reading on this topic I also suggest "Controlling the Dragon: Confucian Engineers and the Yellow River in Later Imperial China" by Randall A Dodgen.