Floodwater flows into the Beihu flood detention area in Hangzhou on Aug 10. [Photo/Tide News]

The Xixian Datang flood-control embankment in Hangzhou faced its first major test on Aug 10 after Typhoon Dolphin's circulation triggered the year's first numbered flood on the Tiaoxi River.

The embankment, a key barrier protecting Hangzhou and the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain from flooding, completed a major reinforcement project in June, raising its protection standard to a once-in-200-years flood.

As river levels rose, all six gates at the Beihu flood diversion area were opened to reduce the flood peak. The area can temporarily store up to 20.5 million cubic meters of water, equivalent to about 1.4 times the volume of West Lake.

A digital twin system also monitored the embankment through more than 200 monitoring points, tracking displacement, seepage and other conditions while helping authorities simulate different flood-control scenarios.

Officials said monitoring will continue as water levels recede, with particular attention to potential landslides and seepage after prolonged high water levels.

Hangzhou's digital twin system simulates flood-control operations for the Xixian Datang embankment. [Photo by Hu Jin/Tide News]