An aerial drone photo taken on March 24, 2026 shows an opened sluice gate diverting water from the Yellow River for irrigation in Qingtongxia, northwest China"s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

　　YINCHUAN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Ningxia water conservancy museum in Wuzhong, northwest China"s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, was recently admitted to the Global Network of Water Museums (WAMU-NET), becoming the 11th water conservancy and water culture institution in China to join this network.

　　Previously, 10 such institutions in the country, including the National Water Museum of China, the Yellow River Museum and the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Civilization Museum, had already joined the network.

　　The latest admission will help raise the profile of Yellow River water culture and Ningxia"s irrigation heritage, while giving local institutions access to global expertise in protecting water cultural heritage and managing water resources, according to the Ningxia Water Conservancy.

　　Headquartered in Italy"s Venice, WAMU-NET is a flagship initiative of UNESCO"s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme. It aims to advance the protection, research and promotion of water cultural heritage through global collaboration among water museums, and to raise public awareness of the sustainable use of water resources.

　　The network now covers more than 40 countries, bringing together over 120 water museums, water culture institutions and individual members.

　　The ancient Yellow River irrigation district in Ningxia is one of China"s four major ancient irrigation districts and an important vehicle for promoting Yellow River culture. In October 2017, it was inscribed on the World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) list. As of September 2025, it was one of 42 WHIS sites across China.