Review of urban drainage and stormwater management in ancient China

•Ancient Chinese urban drainage systems share concepts of modern Chinese sponge city.•Summarized a generalized mode of stormwater management in ancient China.•Stormwater management in ancient China centered on harmony with nature.•Ancient Chinese urban drainage systems were designed to focus on the actual needs.•Details in the drainage system design reflect artisans’ attention to innovation. Ancient Chinese urban drainage systems share several key features of modern urban sustainable drainage systems. This article systematically reviews ancient urban drainage system development in China and places engineering practices of drainage and stormwater management into three scales: individual architecture, architectural community, and urban. A generalized mode of ancient Chinese urban drainage system and stormwater management is established accordingly, and practical approaches to urban drainage system and stormwater management in ancient China are defined corresponding to the three different scales. Finally, inspiration based on ancient practices is discussed in terms of the actual demand for urban stormwater management and “sponge city” development in modern China.