Flowing from north to south across the western side of the Chengdu Plain, the Minjiang River, a major tributary of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, is a "hanging river" because of its higher elevation compared to most of the Chengdu Plain. Therefore, people in Chengdu Plain at that time suffered a lot from the ravages of floods.

In the 256 BC, the 51th year of the Qin state King Zhaoxiang's reign, Li Bing, the governor of Shu County led the local people to construct Dujiangyan. By constructing the main works such as the Yuzui Diverting Embankment, the Feishayan Spillway and the Baopingkou Water Inlet, the water flow of the Minjiang River was divided into two, with the eastern one being introduced into the Chengdu Plain.

After the completion of Dujiangyan, the water damage caused by Minjiang River was gradually controlled, and the river started to nurture the land, making Chengdu "a land of abundance".

Minjiang River is an important tributary of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Minjiang River not only played an important role in irrigation, but also in navigation, giving a great impetus to the economic and social development of the basin. The Minjiang River navigation can be traced back to the Warring States period. Through the Minjiang River, Chengdu finally became accessible, connecting Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other regions by waterway. Later, due to various factors, the shipping of the Chengdu section of the Min River gradually declined.