Traditional Water Governance Wisdom from the Perspective of Chinese Character Culture: A Study Centered on Ancient Urban Water Systems

Abstract

The development of Chinese civilization has long been intertwined with water. Ancient urban water systems provided supply, drainage, flood control, transport, and landscape functions, while also shaping urban order, social governance, and cultural expression. As a carrier of Chinese civilization, Chinese characters preserve early understandings of perceiving, using, and governing water. By examining characters such as shui, shu, xu, ze, gou, han, cheng, and zhi, this paper argues that traditional water-governance wisdom formed an integrated system of natural cognition, spatial planning, engineering practice, and institutional management. Moats, channels, wells, ponds, culverts, water windows, and related facilities enabled water-resource use, stormwater regulation, drainage, flood prevention, and ecological conservation. These practices embodied principles of following natural conditions, guiding water by terrain, combining storage with discharge, and maintaining systems dynamically. They resonate with modern ideas of sponge cities, resilient water systems, and ecological purification, and provide cultural references and practical inspiration for contemporary urban water governance.