Located in Quanfan Village, Zhaojia Town, Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, the Zhuji Shadoof Irrigation System relies on abundant rainfall, sandy soil, and rich groundwater resources, making well water extraction the primary irrigation method in the area.
A well, a shadoof, a piece of farmland and field canals constitute an independent and well-established shadoof irrigation unit. Multiple such units combine to create the shadoof irrigation system. The wells are typically 2 to 5 meters deep, shaped like an inverted bell, with a mouth diameter of 1 to 2 meters and a bottom diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 meters. The well walls are lined with cobblestones, surrounded by an outer layer of crushed stones and gravel that acts as a filter to ensure water quality. The well bottom is reinforced with pinewood to stabilize the structure. As the core water-lifting tool of the irrigation unit, the shadoof consists of a pile, a lever, a lifting rod, counterweight stones and a bucket. Locally, the combination of the well and the shadoof is referred to as an “Ao Well”.
As one of the oldest water-lifting devices, the shadoof holds a unique place in the history of Chinese irrigation civilization. During 770–476 B.C., (the Spring and Autumn Period), shadoofs were widely used for agricultural irrigation in the central plains of China. At around A.D. 1200 (the Southern Song Dynasty), the technology was introduced to Zhaojia Town, Zhejiang, where it has been preserved to this day. Thanks to its well-developed shadoof irrigation system, the area historically enjoyed fertile farmland, ensuring abundant harvests even during droughts and contributing to the prosperity of local villages.
Today, Quanfan Village still maintains over 100 shadoof irrigation units, irrigating approximately 27 hectares of farmland and playing a significant role in local agriculture and economic development. On October 12, 2015, the Zhuji Shadoof Irrigation System was successfully inscribed into the World Heritage Irrigation Structures list, recognized globally as a treasure of irrigation civilization.