Pan Jixun of the Ming dynasty was a famous expert on harnessing the Yellow River. He was appointed river commissioner four times from 1565 to 1592. He investigated the river, learned from old experiences and lessons, and developed his idea of Yellow River harnessing based on sand control. He promoted his Yellow River harnessing method of “building dams to retain water and using water to control sand,” making Yellow River harnessing very successful in the late Ming dynasty. He contributed tremendously to the construction of the Qingkou hydraulic complex of the Grand Canal and the smooth operation of the Caoyun system.