Irrigation

China is famous worldwide for her early development of complex irrigation technology. For example Dujiangyan in Sichuan province in the area recently hit by the huge earthquake and also in Xinjiang province there are amazing underground irrigation tunnels, perhaps not made by Chinese originally, but within the country of China today, so we won't split hairs to use an expression from the vernacular. Modern irrigation techniques are not so amazing as those of the days of our forefathers, but do go a long way in the labor-saving department. A couple of days ago I took this picture of the local landscape engineer at his craft. Notice the large section of cast iron pipe protruding from the bow of the boat.

And sure enough the next day I woke to a couple of rice paddies on what heretofore had been dry ground.