Water wheel in the Tashkurgan Grassland, Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China
© Ratnakorn Piyasirisorost/Getty Image
Water Wheels on the Silk Road. Fresh water on the Silk Road
No, these aren’t the ruins of an ancient amusement park in Western China. These two water wheels on the Tashkurgan River are part of the irrigation system that helps keep the 13,000 or so residents of Tashkurgan supplied with fresh water despite the region receiving only 2.68 inches of precipitation a year. That reliable access to fresh water is one of the reasons this area has been inhabited for thousands of years and marks it an important stop on the Old—and New—Silk Road. Highlighting the importance of fresh water is the goal of World Water Day, which falls every March 22nd. This year’s theme is “Leaving no one behind.” With over 2.1 billion people living without safe water at home, it’s one of the most ambitious of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Related Images
The Esplanade Riel Bridge in downtown Winnipeg
Reflection of the Vimy Memorial Bridge in Ottawa
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge over Kunming Lake in Beijing Summer Palace, China
For the 30th anniversary of Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution, bridges over the Vltava River, including the Charles Bridge and Old Town Bridge Tower, Prague, Czech Republic
The High Trestle Trail Bridge in central Iowa
Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square by the City Hall, Toronto
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas
Christmas Lights and Christmas tree at Nathan Phillips square, Toronto
Bing Today Images
