Five parts, 28 Eastern constellations, giant pandas, floating islands and an ancient irrigation system over 2,000 years old

As reported by CCTV+, China’s drone technology has entered a new era. More than 33,000 drones staged a record-breaking light show in the city of Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province. Guinness World Records were set for the largest simultaneous drone flight and the largest aerial composition.

The show consisted of five parts, combining technology, culture and urban renewal. Official certification confirmed breakthroughs in scale, design and aerial performance — all three elements together for the first time.

In the first part, 33,615 drones formed a composition depicting the 28 Eastern constellations. This reflected Dujiangyan’s ancient philosophy of water management, based on harmony between man and nature. Subsequent parts featured cultural symbols such as giant pandas and floating islands, highlighting the city’s heritage and its modern vitality.

The city is known for its ancient irrigation system — a damless water diversion project built in 256 BC. It is the oldest and only surviving major water conservancy project in the world, having withstood floods and earthquakes for over two millennia and still in use today. The “fish mouth” spillway divides the Minjiang River into an inner channel for irrigation and an outer channel for flood discharge.

Dujiangyan’s irrigation system was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list in November 2000, and in August 2018, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage included it on the World Heritage Irrigation Structures list.

33,615 drones. 28 constellations. 2,000 years of history. Dujiangyan — where ancient philosophy met modern technology. They once managed water here. Now they manage light. A system built before the common era still works today. And above it, thousands of machines fly, painting pandas and stars. The question is not how many records China will set. The question is how long the rest of the world will watch this show with their mouths open. While they think, the drones are already in the air. And there are more of them every time.