Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Valley Water Diversion Project:
Guanzhong and Southern Shaanxi

On July 20, the interview team of the fifth publicity campaign on the theme of "Voice of Shaanxi, Via Which We Communicate with the World" visited the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Valley Water Diversion Project Construction Co., Ltd., Shaanxi Province and the construction frontline of the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Valley Water Diversion Project to get a close look at this strategic water conservancy project at close range, listen to the moving stories of the builders and figure out how they benefit the people of Shaanxi.

The Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Valley Water Diversion Project is one of the 172 major water conservancy projects for water saving and supplying in China. It runs through both the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin, then crosses the Qinling Mountains and diverts water from the Yangtze River Basin to the Yellow River Basin. The project is, therefore, of great significance for optimal management of water resources in Shaanxi, coordinated water use in Guanzhong and northern Shaanxi, promotion of the circular economy in southern Shaanxi and the management of the ecological environment of Weihe River, and acceleration of the coordinated and sustainable development of the whole province.

The total water transfer scale of this project is 1.5 billion cubic meters. After completion, it can support 700 billion yuan of GDP, meet the living and industrial water consumption of residents in four key cities of Xi'an, Xianyang, Weinan and Yangling, as well as 11 counties, 5 new cities and an industrial park on both sides of Weihe River. Therefore, it plays an important role in alleviating water shortage in Guanzhong, replacing the water consumption index of Yellow River in northern Shaanxi and driving the economic and social development of southern Shaanxi.

The Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Valley Water Diversion Project consists of two parts: the first-stage water transfer project and the second-stage water transmission and distribution project. The former, the water transfer project contains three major parts: Golden Gorge Water Conservancy Project, Sanhekou Water Conservancy Project and Qinling Water Conveyance Tunnel with a total length of 98.3 kilometers. The maximum buried depth of the project is 2012 meters. The water transmission and distribution project, the latter, consists of Huangchigou Water Distribution Hub, north-south central line and 20 branch lines, which can transport the water of Hanjiang River to various areas in Guanzhong.

Qinling Water Conveyance Tunnel, as the "artery" of the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Valley Water Diversion Project, is the first grand project for human beings to cross Qinling Mountains, one of the top ten mountains in the world, at the bottom.

By the end of June 2021, the main tunnel of the Qinling Water Conveyance Tunnel has been excavated for 96.49km, accounting for 98.16% of the total target task of 98.3km. It is scheduled to open the next year; The dam of Sanhekou Water Conservancy Project has been poured to the top, and the impoundment has begun; The main project of the Golden Gorge Water Conservancy Project is planned to be basically completed by the end of next year, when the sluice would be lowered to store water.