Understanding the Canal for 2500 Years, Looking at China along the Grand Canal | Walking 790 kilometers in Jiangsu | The Grand Canal | Canal
Jiangsu is the birthplace of the 2500 year old Grand Canal and the only key construction area of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park. The 790 kilometer Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal runs north-south and still stretches for thousands of miles. From August 13th to 16th, the online themed promotion of the Jiangsu section interview activity "Using Rivers as Media - Viewing China along the Grand Canal" was held. More than 20 media outlets from the central, provincial, and local governments visited four canal cities: Yangzhou, Huai'an, Changzhou, and Suzhou. Along the millennium old canal, they touched upon the cultural heritage of Jiangsu, searched for super projects, experienced the vibrant life along the canal, and checked in on the vibrant new appearance of the canal.
The online theme promotion of "Using Rivers as Media - Looking at China along the Grand Canal" is guided by the Network Communication Bureau of the Central Cyberspace Administration, hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of eight provinces including Jiangsu, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong, and Henan, and hosted by People's Daily and Modern Express.
Along the Millennium Canal, touch the cultural context of Jiangsu
The water veins and cultural veins have been intertwined since ancient times. The Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal of China connects the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River and the old Yellow River, and connects the Taihu Lake Lake, Gaoyou Lake, Hongze Lake, Luoma Lake and other lakes. It is an important channel connecting the north and south water systems. It has not only been praised by scholars and scholars of all dynasties, but also brought prosperity to Jiangsu.
The song "Night Mooring at Maple Bridge" has been passed down for thousands of years along with the sound of the bells at Hanshan Temple outside the city of Gusu. At the Fengqiao Night Mooring Scenic Area in Suzhou, members of the interview team saw that the Fengqiao Bridge, spanning across the canal, was quaint and simple in design, with a plethora of visitors.
"Fengqiao originated from poetry and flourished from the river," said Zhang Yifan, Director of the Management Office of Fengqiao Scenic Area in Suzhou. "Thanks to the ancient post road and the Grand Canal, north-south boats and trucks intersect here and transport goods busily. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Fengqiao was the largest rice and bean distribution center in the country, and the 'Fenghu' in Fengqiao's rice market became the standard for measuring instruments in the country."
Suzhou fulfilled the poet Zhang Ji, while Changzhou carried Su Dongpo's final homesickness. In the first year of Jianzhong Jingguo, Su Dongpo was released from Hainan and returned to the north, choosing Changzhou as his place of death.
At the Su Dongpo Memorial Hall located in the center of the old city of Changzhou, members of the interview team saw the Song Dynasty ancient well that Mr. Dongpo had used, and also saw his favorite wisteria blooming sporadically again. Su Dongpo came to Changzhou 14 times in his life. He first set foot on the land of Changzhou, bought land there, and finally returned to Changzhou through the canal.
At the Wenhui Pavilion in Yangzhou, the "Complete Library of Four Branches", which took 12 years to replicate and complete, was displayed in front of the journalists. It is understood that the Wenhui Pavilion was destroyed in the flames of war. It was rebuilt and officially opened in April this year, and the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries was re collected. After 169 years, the books and the pavilion met again.
After the completion of the Complete Library of Four Branches, a total of seven parts were copied, of which five were hidden along the Grand Canal. Why is this? Shao Yuan, Manager of the Management Department of Yangzhou Guolv Wenhui Pavilion, believes that besides Beijing being the capital, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, and Hangzhou, the three canal cities, all reached cultural peaks during the Ming and Qing dynasties due to the Grand Canal. After the completion of the "South Three Pavilions", they also had a profound impact on the culture of Jiangnan.
Searching for Superengineering, Jiangsu Wisdom Helps Jianghe Anlan
Do you know where the national super project of South to North Water Diversion starts? The source of the East Line project lies in the Jiangdu Water Conservancy Hub located in Yangzhou. From here, a river of clear water is transported northward.
The Jiangdu Water Conservancy Hub Project was built in 1961 and is the largest power drainage and irrigation project in China and the largest pumping station hub in Asia. Qian Bangyong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Jiangdu Water Conservancy Engineering Management Office in Jiangsu Province, stated that the Jiangdu Water Conservancy Hub has now achieved remote monitoring and scheduling. "In the future, there will be further planning in the intelligent construction of pump station management and centralized remote scheduling and control."
At the intersection of the Huai River and the Grand Canal, members of the interview team checked in at the largest "water overpass" in Asia in Huai'an. The upper navigation channel of the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal spans over the Huai River estuary, with two waterways intersecting in a three-dimensional manner and not interfering with each other. The reporters of the interview team climbed onto the steel cable bridge and looked from a distance, with vast plains and vast expanses of canal water at their feet. Occasionally, boats passed under the bridge.
Li Jing, Director of the Grand Canal Overpass Management Office of the Huai River Waterway Project Management Office in Jiangsu Province, introduced that "because the daily water level of the Grand Canal is five or six meters higher than that of the Huai River Waterway, there must be an engineering measure when these two rivers intersect." It is reported that there will be a second phase of the Huai'an Overpass project in the future. "Once the second phase is completed, the Huai River will have a relatively independent channel for entering the sea."
Delicious and fun! Come and experience the vibrant and fragrant scenery along the canal
The Grand Canal not only has a long cultural heritage, but its convenient transportation has also brought a vibrant life to people on both sides of the strait. The smooth Wenlou Tangbao, the well honed imperial Taiwanese Meatballs, the crisp Huai'an tea sans... stroll around the ancient town under the Huai'an River, let people call it really fragrant.
"Undoubtedly, it is the capital of world cuisine!" "Is the birth of these delicacies related to the Grand Canal?" The members of the interview team tasted the unique cuisine while turning their gaze to the canal beside them. Ma Qianli, the head of Hexia Ancient Town Scenic Area, told reporters that the convenient transportation has brought about the blending of northern and southern food materials, and has also formed a unique Huaiyang Cuisine food culture. "There is an ancient saying that goes' relying on mountains to eat mountains, relying on water to eat water '. Many of the delicacies here are derived from water, such as soft croaker and cattail."
Walking in the historical and cultural district of Pingjiang in Suzhou, one can also encounter the fireworks of the human world. In front of me are small bridges and flowing water, with pink walls and black tiles, and in my ears are the soft voices and melodies of Wu Nong. Houses were built by the river, and many girls dressed in Hanfu left gentle and beautiful shadows by the river.
The Pingjiang Historical and Cultural District is located in the northeast corner of Suzhou Ancient City and is a heritage site of the Grand Canal in China, with a history of over 2500 years. At the south entrance of Pingjiang Road, members of the interview team saw a replica of the Southern Song Dynasty's "Pingjiang Map" stone tablet in the pavilion. Through comparison, it was found that this area has relatively fully preserved the dual chessboard neighborhood pattern of water land integration and parallel river streets since the Tang and Song dynasties, making it a living Song Dynasty painting of Pingjiang.
Since the launch of the pilot project for Pingjiang Road landscape protection and environmental improvement in 2002, the local government has preserved traditional lifestyles and customs through methods such as heritage restoration, reuse of ancient buildings, and protection of traditional cultural spaces, forming the cultural space that is now the most Jiangnan in this area.
Encountering the new appearance of the canal, integrating culture and tourism, and attracting young people to become fans
The Grand Canal, flowing for thousands of years, is full of vitality.
In the creative block of Canal No. 5 in Changzhou, you can see the mottled old walls, large serrated factories, and towering chimneys... Walking in the block, you can vaguely see the bustling factories that once stood tall.
Industrial heritage is an important resource for the construction of the Changzhou Grand Canal Cultural Belt. The Canal No. 5 Creative District is built on the former site of Hengyuan Chang Factory, transforming the "Old Factory by the Ancient Yun River" into a "Changzhou Cultural New Wharf". Walk along the street into the Canal No. 5 Small Theater, where the restored old scenes take you back to the old city of Changzhou. This is the performance venue of Changzhou's first immersive drama "Dream Weaving Canal". In the old factory building where the story takes place, the audience can learn about the rise and fall of this textile enterprise.
Where is the most popular museum by the canal? The Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum must have a name. The members of the interview team saw in the museum that it was extremely popular, with tourists from all over the country gathering here. The most popular among them is undoubtedly the "5G Grand Canal" immersive experience hall planned and produced by Phoenix Publishing Media Group's Modern Express.
The audience is in a space surrounded by five screens, using naked eye 3D technology to traverse 17 canal cities in one shot. Accompanied by the sound of flowing water, passing through Hangzhou Gongchen Bridge, Suzhou Wumen Bridge, and Wuxi Qingming Bridge, the beautiful Jiangnan on both sides of the canal unfolds one after another.
In addition to exhibitions, Zhongyunbo also has many "little tricks" that attract young audiences, such as the "Daming City Water Supervision: Canal Mistake" escape room specially designed for children, where they can learn canal knowledge in the game.
The event report has sparked heated discussions among netizens, with the Millennium Canal re standing at position C
The Jiangsu section, located in the middle of the Grand Canal, has the longest navigable mileage, the richest historical and cultural relics, and the widest coverage area of the entire Grand Canal. Coordinating the protection, inheritance, and utilization of the precious heritage left by our ancestors, promoting the construction of the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal cultural belt to be at the forefront of the country, and striving to create the most beautiful, exciting, and prosperous "Jiangsu business card", is a major mission to demonstrate the confidence of the Chinese nation's culture and an important support for promoting high-quality development in Jiangsu.
In the online themed promotion of the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal through the river as a medium, the interview team vividly showcased the historical heritage and vibrant new appearance of the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal. "A canal with a thousand years of cultural heritage!" "Water conservancy wonders!" "I need to go and have a good meal." The related news reports have sparked heated discussions among netizens, and have repeatedly appeared on Weibo's local hot search list. The Millennium Canal once again ranks at number C.
The Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal also left a deep impression on the journalists participating in this interview activity. "I deeply feel that the Grand Canal is not only a real river, but also a living linear cultural heritage," said Zhang Jieru, a reporter at the intersection of Xinhua Daily, as the interview team visited several cities on the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal
Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yan also gained a deeper understanding of the culture and charm of the canal during the interview. "As a media person, we should let more people know about the cities along the canal, come here to see, understand its history, taste its cuisine, and fall in love with its scenery. At the same time, we should also let these cities go global and let the world feel their charm."
Modern Express+Reporter Zhang Ran, Pei Shiyu, Li Yiheng/Wen Shi, Xiang Hui, Liu Chang/Photo taken
