·1918年裁彎之三岔河口

海河是天津的血脈，是天津的母親河。海河又稱沽河、白河，它集納百川，通達(dá)四海。歷史上中國北方的許多河流，流經(jīng)天津，匯成潞河、衛(wèi)河，即北運河、南運河，然后在三岔河口交匯，成為海河干流，穿過天津市中心，蜿蜒73公里，東入渤海。河與海，加上天津薊北雄關(guān)，形成了中國特大城市中獨此能唱“山、海、河”經(jīng)的壯觀都市。
“海河” 之名，最早見于明萬歷四十一年(1613)徐光啟寫的《糞壅規(guī)則》中，現(xiàn)存天津最早的志書、清康熙十四年(1675)纂修的《天津衛(wèi)志》,有“引海河潮水圍城四面”的記載。
海河干流河道彎曲較多，不利通航。清咸豐八年(1858),從三岔河口至大沽海口，全長90.1公里，但直線距離僅48.3公里。所以從清代光緒二十七年(1901)開始，至1923年，先后對海河進(jìn)行了6次裁彎取直工程。
第一次，是光緒二十七年(1901)十月至光緒二十八年(1902)七月。裁彎的部位，起于掛甲寺，止于楊莊。消除了天津灣、火柴廠灣、“東河區(qū)”灣。
第二次，是光緒二十七年(1901)十月至光緒二十八年(1902)九月。裁彎的部位，起于下河圈，止于何莊子。消除了雙灣與菜園灣、東局子與菜園之間的2道急灣。裁彎后，輪船在七八個小時內(nèi)，即可由大沽口行至天津租界碼頭。
第三次，是光緒二十九年(1903)九月至光緒三十年(1904)六月底。裁彎的部位，起于低墳頭的楊家場，止于泥窩上面的辛莊。消除了海河上最嚴(yán)重的3個河灣： 低墳頭河灣、美點灣、白塘口灣等。新航道通航時，直隸總督袁世凱派員前往祝賀。
第四次，是宣統(tǒng)三年(1911)四月至1913年7月。裁彎的部位，起于大趙北村，止于東泥沽。這是最大規(guī)模的一次裁彎取直工程。使海河的通航能力大大提高，1914年7月，吃水4158米的“昌升”號船通過海河，這是有記載以來海河通航吃水最深的船只。
第五次，是1918年6月(一說11月)至當(dāng)年11月2日完工，11月23日召開竣工落成典禮。裁灣的部位是三岔河口。昔日的三岔河口，在望海樓、崇禧觀南，今獅子林橋附近。當(dāng)時的北運河從這里往東，連接原金鐘河，繞過獅子林地區(qū)、小關(guān)、金家窯，折向西北，形成一個大灣。南運河從這里向西，到侯家后，然后向北，再折向西。在侯家后到老三岔河口，也形成一個大灣。當(dāng)時大胡同位于南運河這個大灣以北。
如何將三岔河口裁彎取直，一直被人們所關(guān)注。清末李鴻章曾有過裁直三岔河口之議，由于遭到反對而未能實行。這次，海河工程局在順直水利委員會協(xié)同下，在天津紳商捐助下，在廣大群眾配合下，三岔河口裁彎取直才得以實現(xiàn)。三岔河口的裁彎取直，使三岔河口上移至金鋼橋以西大王廟北。新開了望海樓教堂以西至大王廟以北的一段新河，地處望海樓、崇禧觀以西的望海寺，在裁彎時因靠近河岸而被拆，該寺所留一座古鐘移懸于大悲院大雄寶殿之外。這次裁彎后，北運河避去了大灣，經(jīng)子牙河取直道向北，原金鐘河上口廢棄。同時，南運河侯家后至老鐵橋段，也進(jìn)行了裁彎取直，去掉了侯家后大灣。這樣，南運河與北運河便在大王廟以北、金鋼橋以上，與海河干流交匯，形成了今日之新三岔河口。
第六次，是1921年5月，至1923年10月。裁彎的部位，起于下河圈，止于蘆莊。這次裁彎，是對第二次裁彎的完善、延伸。所挖泥土，用于填筑墻子河外的洼地。
清代和民國時期，海河6次裁彎取直工程，共縮短航道26.6公里，上下游河床普遍刷深、拓寬，斷面增大，納潮量增加，河槽的調(diào)蓄能力也加大，排泄洪水的能力加強。各種輪船可以乘潮從海河駛抵天津。
解放后，海河經(jīng)過根治，不斷減害增利。古老而新生的海河，澆灌了北國富饒大地，培育了“九河下梢”國際大都市。海河水系連通了中國多條大江大河，匯聚了中國北方大部分河流。其溝通江河之大，流域范圍之廣，匯納河流之多，通達(dá)洲海之遠(yuǎn)，堪稱世界名河。
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次裁彎取直

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年南運河侯家后段裁彎取直前大胡同在南運河以北