海河的裁弯取直工程

·1918年裁弯之三岔河口

海河是天津的血脉，是天津的母亲河。海河又称沽河、白河，它集纳百川，通达四海。历史上中国北方的许多河流，流经天津，汇成潞河、卫河，即北运河、南运河，然后在三岔河口交汇，成为海河干流，穿过天津市中心，蜿蜒73公里，东入渤海。河与海，加上天津蓟北雄关，形成了中国特大城市中独此能唱“山、海、河”经的壮观都市。
“海河” 之名，最早见于明万历四十一年(1613)徐光启写的《粪壅规则》中，现存天津最早的志书、清康熙十四年(1675)纂修的《天津卫志》,有“引海河潮水围城四面”的记载。
海河干流河道弯曲较多，不利通航。清咸丰八年(1858),从三岔河口至大沽海口，全长90.1公里，但直线距离仅48.3公里。所以从清代光绪二十七年(1901)开始，至1923年，先后对海河进行了6次裁弯取直工程。
第一次，是光绪二十七年(1901)十月至光绪二十八年(1902)七月。裁弯的部位，起于挂甲寺，止于杨庄。消除了天津湾、火柴厂湾、“东河区”湾。
第二次，是光绪二十七年(1901)十月至光绪二十八年(1902)九月。裁弯的部位，起于下河圈，止于何庄子。消除了双湾与菜园湾、东局子与菜园之间的2道急湾。裁弯后，轮船在七八个小时内，即可由大沽口行至天津租界码头。
第三次，是光绪二十九年(1903)九月至光绪三十年(1904)六月底。裁弯的部位，起于低坟头的杨家场，止于泥窝上面的辛庄。消除了海河上最严重的3个河湾： 低坟头河湾、美点湾、白塘口湾等。新航道通航时，直隶总督袁世凯派员前往祝贺。
第四次，是宣统三年(1911)四月至1913年7月。裁弯的部位，起于大赵北村，止于东泥沽。这是最大规模的一次裁弯取直工程。使海河的通航能力大大提高，1914年7月，吃水4158米的“昌升”号船通过海河，这是有记载以来海河通航吃水最深的船只。
第五次，是1918年6月(一说11月)至当年11月2日完工，11月23日召开竣工落成典礼。裁湾的部位是三岔河口。昔日的三岔河口，在望海楼、崇禧观南，今狮子林桥附近。当时的北运河从这里往东，连接原金钟河，绕过狮子林地区、小关、金家窑，折向西北，形成一个大湾。南运河从这里向西，到侯家后，然后向北，再折向西。在侯家后到老三岔河口，也形成一个大湾。当时大胡同位于南运河这个大湾以北。
如何将三岔河口裁弯取直，一直被人们所关注。清末李鸿章曾有过裁直三岔河口之议，由于遭到反对而未能实行。这次，海河工程局在顺直水利委员会协同下，在天津绅商捐助下，在广大群众配合下，三岔河口裁弯取直才得以实现。三岔河口的裁弯取直，使三岔河口上移至金钢桥以西大王庙北。新开了望海楼教堂以西至大王庙以北的一段新河，地处望海楼、崇禧观以西的望海寺，在裁弯时因靠近河岸而被拆，该寺所留一座古钟移悬于大悲院大雄宝殿之外。这次裁弯后，北运河避去了大湾，经子牙河取直道向北，原金钟河上口废弃。同时，南运河侯家后至老铁桥段，也进行了裁弯取直，去掉了侯家后大湾。这样，南运河与北运河便在大王庙以北、金钢桥以上，与海河干流交汇，形成了今日之新三岔河口。
第六次，是1921年5月，至1923年10月。裁弯的部位，起于下河圈，止于芦庄。这次裁弯，是对第二次裁弯的完善、延伸。所挖泥土，用于填筑墙子河外的洼地。
清代和民国时期，海河6次裁弯取直工程，共缩短航道26.6公里，上下游河床普遍刷深、拓宽，断面增大，纳潮量增加，河槽的调蓄能力也加大，排泄洪水的能力加强。各种轮船可以乘潮从海河驶抵天津。
解放后，海河经过根治，不断减害增利。古老而新生的海河，浇灌了北国富饶大地，培育了“九河下梢”国际大都市。海河水系连通了中国多条大江大河，汇聚了中国北方大部分河流。其沟通江河之大，流域范围之广，汇纳河流之多，通达洲海之远，堪称世界名河。
The Haihe River is the blood and mother river of Tianjin.The Haihe River is also called the Guhe River or theBai River. It incorporates hundreds of small rivers andruns into the Bohai Sea. Many rivers in Northern Chinarun through Tianjin and combine into the Luhe Riverand the Weihe River,that is,the Northern Canal andthe Southern Canal. They join together at the mouth ofSancha River and become a branch of the Haihe River;then they run through the center of Tianjin into the BohaiSea. The length of the Haihe River is 73 kilometers. TheRiver and the sea,together with the great wall in thenorth of Jixian County,form a unique and spectacularview about mountain,river and sea.
The name of the Haihe River originated fromFenyong Rules by Xu Guangqi in 1913 (the 41st year ofEmperor Wanli in the Ming Dynasty). The earliest localrecords,Tianjin Records compiled in 1615 (the 14th yearof Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty) says that theHaihe River was led in to surround the city.
The main stream of the Haihe River had manycurves. In 1858 (the eighth year of Emperor Xianfeng inthe Qing Dynasty),the Haihe River ran 90.1 kilometersfrom Sanchakou river gate to Dagu sea entrance.However,the liner distance was only 48.3 kilometers.Therefore,six projects to make the Haihe River straighthad been conducted from 1901 (the 27th year ofEmperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty) to 1923.
The first project had been conducted from 1901(the 27th year of Emperor Guangxu) to July in 1902(the 28th year of Emperor Guangxu) to the river fromGuajia Temple to Yangzhuang Village. The Tianjin gulf,Match Factory gulf and East District gulf therefore wereremoved.
The second project had been conducted fromOctober 1901 (the 27th year of Emperor Guangxu) toSeptember in 1902 (the 28th year of Emperor Guangxu)to the river from Xiahequan to Hezhuangzi Village. Twosharp curves between Shuang gulf and Caiyuan gulf,between Dongjuzi and Caiyuan were removed.
These two projects of making Haihe River straightdepended wholly on manual digging. After these twoprojects,ships took only seven to eight hours fromDagukou to the concession wharf of Tianjin.
The third project had been conducted fromSeptember 1903 (the 29th year of Emperor Guangxu)to the end of June in 1904 (the 30th year of EmperorGuangxu) to the river from Yangjiachang to XinVillage. Three sharpest curves,Difentou,Meidian andBaitangkou were removed. The chief governor of Zhili,Yuan Shikai sent representatives to congratulate thecompletion of the projects when the new river openedfor transportation.
The fourth project had been conducted from April1911 (the third year of Emperor Xuantong) to July in1913 to the river from Dazhaobei Village to Dongnigu.This was the bigest digging project conducted to makethe Haihe River straight,which greatly improved thetransportation capability of the Haihe River. In July1914,Changsheng ship with a sea gauge of 4158 meterspassed the Haihe River,which became the ship with thedeepest sea gauge since the Haihe River had been openfor transportation.
The fifth project had been conducted from June in1918 (some said from November in 1918) to November2 in the same year. In November 23,project completionceremony was held.

·海河6次裁弯取直

The previous Sancha river mouth was located tothe south of Wanghailou and Chongxiguan,aroundShizilin Bridge. The north canal went east from here toconnect the Jinzhong River,then went around Shizilinarea,Xiaoguan,and Jinjiayao,then went northwest toform a big curve. The south canal went west from here,through Houjiahou,then went north and west. It arrivedat Houjiahou and formed a big curve from Houjiahou tothe old Sancha river mouth. Dahutong was located to thenorth of the big curve of the south canal.
How to make Sanchakou straight had been a focalpoint of many people. Li Hongzhang had proposed tomake it straight at the end of Qing Dynasty. However,he was objected. Under the effort of the Haihe RiverEngineering Bureau and Shunzhi Water Committeeand supported by the funds collected and donated byTianjin gentries and businessmen,the project of makingSanshakou straight was conducted.
The project of making Sanchakou straight shiftedSanchakou to the north of the King Temple in the westof the Jinang Bridge. A new segment of river was createdfrom the west of Wanghailou Church to the north of theKing Temple. The Wanghai Temple located to the westof Wanghailou and Chongxiguan was removed becauseit was near the bank of the river. An ancient bell wasmoved to the outside of the Great Hall in the DabeiTemple.
After this project,the north Canal went northdirectly through the Ziya River without going throughthe big curve and the Jinzhong River mouth becamedesolate. The segment of the south canal from Houjiahouto Old Steel Bridge was also made straight by removingthe curve of Houjiahou. In this way,the south and thenorth canal joined the main stream of the Haihe Riverin the north of the King Temple and the Jingang Bridge,forming the new Sancha river mouth.
The sixth project had been conducted fromMay 1921 to October 1923 to the river segment fromXiahequan to Lu Village. It was the extension andrefinement of the second project. The earth dug wasused to fill the billabongs of the Qiangzi River.
The six projects to make the Haihe River straightshortened the river by 26.6 kilometers. The riverbedswere deepened and widened and sections were enlarged.Therefore,the capacity of the river was enlarged andits capability of discharging flood was also improved.Various kinds of ships could arrived at Tianjin throughthe Haihe River.
After the liberation,the Haihe River became morebeneficial to the public. It irrigates lands of the north andcultivates the metropolitan Tianjin. The water system ofthe Haihe River connects many rivers in China and joinsmost of the rivers in north China. It is one of the famousrivers in the world.

·1918年南运河侯家后段裁弯取直前大胡同在南运河以北