Abstract: Global climate change and rapid urbanization have altered the natural water cycle, resulting in increasingly prominent urban water issues. Since the beginning of the new century, many cities have experienced severe waterlogging, which has promoted the construction of sponge cities in China. However, urban waterlogging is a complex issue, and the relevant policies and standards have been continuously improving. There are many ongoing debates on the effectiveness of sponge cities. This paper analyzes the spirit of the relevant "Sponge City Construction" documents and the technical requirements outlined in the regulatory standards, providing an interpretation of the functional definition of "Sponge Cities". Furthermore, it conducts flood scenario simulations in the Fenghuangzhou area of Nanchang City to empirically analyze the peak flow control effects of Low Impact Development (LID) and runoff storage facilities. The main conclusion is that the concept of "sponge city construction" has evolved over time. Initially, it focused on implementing low-impact development measures to improve urban waterlogging control capabilities. However, it has now progressed towards the systematic construction of urban drainage and flood structural systems based on the principles of "source emission, pipe network discharge, combined storage and discharge, and emergency response to exceeding standards". In flood-prone areas in the southern part of the country, the focus of urban waterlogging control lies in both "discharge" and "storage". The construction of a standard urban rainwater pipe network system and the layout of an excessive rainwater runoff discharge system are still crucial.