Li Bing (李冰) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Li Bing as an administrator, artisan, engineer, and official. This record brings together 7 passages from 3 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Li Bing	李冰	Li Bing
Personal name	Bing	冰	Bing
Personal name	Li Bing	冰	Bing
Personal name	Li Bing	李冰	Li Bing
Title	Shu commandery administrator	蜀守	Shushou
Title	Shu governor	蜀太守

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:029:s0014
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · yuanshi:066:s0151

Roles

Administrator
Artisan
Engineer
Official

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 於蜀 · Western Year: c. BC 250
Explicit · shiji:029:s0014
Source Date: Text: 秦昭王時 · Western Year: BC 256
Explicit event contextual date · yuanshi:066:s0151

Career and standing

Label: waterworks engineer / 水工
Strongly inferred · shiji:029:s0014
Label: Shu commandery administrator / 蜀守 · Action: held
Explicit · shiji:029:s0014
Label: Shu governor / 蜀太守 · Action: held
Explicit · yuanshi:066:s0151
Name: Governor of Shu / 蜀守
Explicit · hanshu:038:s0013

Places and affiliations

Label: Qin / 秦 · Relation: served
Explicit · yuanshi:066:s0151
Polity: Qin / 秦 · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · shiji:029:s0014
Place: Chengdu / 成都 · Relation: worked-at
Explicit · shiji:029:s0014
Place: Lidui / 離碓 · Relation: worked-at
Explicit · shiji:029:s0014
Place: Shu / 蜀 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · shiji:029:s0014, yuanshi:066:s0151

Learning and skills

Skill: water control / 治水 · Level: foundational
Explicit · yuanshi:066:s0171

Events and relationships

Kind: engineering · Role: builder · Action: built-dujiangyan-system
Explicit · yuanshi:066:s0166, yuanshi:066:s0171, yuanshi:066:s0175
Kind: engineering · Role: builder · Action: cut-li-heap-and-divided-river · Place: Li Heap / 離堆
Explicit · yuanshi:066:s0151
Kind: hydraulic · Role: director · Action: cut-Lidui-and-pierced-two-rivers · Place: Chengdu / 成都
Explicit · shiji:029:s0014

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Han, Chapter 38Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals · 1 passage

Open chapter

於蜀，則蜀守李冰鑿離馈，避沫水之害，穿二江成都中。 In Shu, Governor Li Bing cut through the Dui Dike to avert Mo River flooding and split the flow into two channels through Chengdu.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 29Treatise on Rivers and Canals · 1 passage

Open chapter

於蜀，蜀守冰鑿離碓，辟沫水之害，穿二江成都之中。 In Shu, Li Bing, the Shu commandery administrator, cut through Lidui, averted the harm of the Mo River, and drove the two streams through the center of Chengdu.

History of Yuan, Chapter 66Volume 66 Treatises 19: Rivers and Canals 3 · 5 passages

Open chapter

秦昭王時，蜀太守李冰鑿離堆，分其江以灌川蜀，民用以饒。 Under King Zhaoxiang of Qin, Shu governor Li Bing cut the Li Heap, split the river to irrigate the Chengdu Plain, and the people prospered.

復禱於冰祠，卜之吉。 They prayed at Li Bing's shrine and received an auspicious divination.

北舊無江，冰鑿以辟沫水之害，中為都江堰，少東為大、小釣魚，又東跨二江為石門，以節北江之水，又東為利民臺，臺之東南為侍郎、楊柳二堰，其水自離堆分流入於南江。 Northward there had been no channel until Bing cut one to divert the Mo River. Dujiangyan stood at the center; slightly east were Great and Small Diaoyu; farther east Stone Gate spanned both rivers to regulate the north branch; farther east Limin Terrace, southeast of which lay the Shilang and Yangliu weirs, whose waters from the Li Heap fed the south river.

又書「深淘灘，高作堰」六字其旁，為治水之法，皆冰所為也。 Beside it Bing had inscribed six characters: 'Deeply dredge the shoals, build the weir high'—his fundamental rule for water control.

此冰所穿二江也。 These were the two channels Li Bing had cut.