A 100-meter paper-cutting work depicting the scenery along the Grand Canal is on display at the China Grand Canal Museum in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province. Using the Jintan paper-cutting technique, an intangible cultural heritage item, the work represents the epitome of canal culture and is more than worth a visit. [Photo/IC]
The Grand Canal, the world's longest artificial waterway and a UNESCO World Heritage site, flows through the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong and Hebei, as well as Tianjin and Beijing.
It is about 16 times the size of the Suez Canal in Egypt and 33 times longer than the Panama Canal, the world's second- and third-largest canals.
The canal is a "living heritage" with multiple functions such as flood control, water supply, inland navigation, ecological landscape and tourism. In history, it was once China's most important channel for grain transportation from the prosperous southern region to the north.
Last year, the construction of national cultural parks involving cultural landmarks, including the Grand Canal, was a major public cultural services project mentioned in the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).
And up till now, the Grand Canal is on the right track to restoring its unique charm with a picturesque river band and rich historic culture.
Here are 10 destinations worth visiting along the ancient waterway.
A "super moon" hangs over ancient building complexes at Zhongzhou Island Scenic Park along the Grand Canal in Huai'an, East China's Jiangsu province, on June 14, 2022. [Photo/IC]
The Grand Canal Cultural Museum of the Sui and Tang Dynasties opened in Luoyang, Central China's Henan province, on May 18, 2022. Divided into three floors, the museum displays nearly 400 artifacts related to the Grand Canal. [Photo/IC]
A photo taken on June 21, 2022, shows the 2nd Zhejiang Grand Canal World Cultural Heritage Week in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. A staff member dresses in costume to show the folk customs of this ancient town. [Photo/IC]
Folk artists perform "Fire Dragon and Steel Flower" for tourists at Tai'erzhuang Ancient Town in Zaozhuang, East China's Shandong province, Feb 2, 2022. [Photo/IC]
Tourists take photos of isatidis flowers in full bloom at the Chinese Herbal Medicine Garden along the Grand Canal in Tianjin, on May 1, 2022. [Photo/IC]
Ancient Town of the Grand Canal in Huaibei, East China's Anhui province. [Photo/IC]
Lotus flowers begin to bloom in the Grand Canal Forest Park on the eastern outskirts of Beijing. The city has entered the lotus season on July 1, 2022. [Photo/IC]
The former Hangzhou Iron and Steel Industrial Park is under reconstruction, June 22. It is the key project of Hangzhou Grand Canal National Cultural Park, with a total land area of about 55 hectares and a total construction area of about 500,000 square meters. [Photo/IC]
People enjoy leisure time on both sides of a Grand Canal near Qingfeng Building in Cangzhou, North China's Hebei province, on Aug 28, 2021. [Photo/IC]
