East China’s Jiangsu province is fully committed to promoting the protection, inheritance, and utilization of the Grand Canal culture so as to let the ancient Grand Canal showcase the youthful vitality of the new era.
Since this summer, the ancient canal in Yangzhou has received nearly 20000 tourists for water tourism in less than two months. In the afternoon, sitting in a boat of antiquity while listening to interpretations and enjoying the scenery on both sides of the canal has become the latest way to get to know about Yangzhou and the canal.
“The first thing I experienced after visiting the ancient canal was its rich history. The ancient canal serves as a large window, allowing us all to better experience the cultural and urban heritage”, a tourist from Shandong said.
The 30-kilometer-long Yangzhou section of the ancient canal is the most densely populated and culturally valuable section of the Grand Canal.
In recent years, Yangzhou has scientifically formulated the "Development Plan for the Integration of Culture and Tourism of the Grand Canal" and the "Implementation Plan for the Construction of the Yangzhou Section of the World Class Canal Cultural Heritage Tourism Corridor" to ensure the proper protection and continuous inheritance of the canal's cultural heritage. Relevant departments have also selected and created the "Twelve Scenic Spots of the Grand Canal" in Yangzhou, launching cultural and tourism activities and products such as the Slender West Lake Immersion Night Tour and Renfengli Folk Culture Festival, to create a tourist destination that satisfies tourists.
Yangzhou has also formulated and introduced a "1+8" plan for the protection and organic renewal of historical and cultural cities, planning and implementing projects such as the North Hucheng River Cultural and Tourism Zone and the Ming and Qing Ancient City Protection and Cultural and Tourism Demonstration Zone, repairing nearly 170000 square meters of various buildings, and implementing "micro renovation" of historical and cultural blocks such as Pishi Street, Renfengli, and Nanhexia.
Various regions in Jiangsu are promoting the preservation, inheritance, and utilization of high-quality Grand Canal culture. Suzhou has coordinated various spatial functions on the upstream and downstream, left and right banks of the Grand Canal, creating the most exquisite ecological corridor, the most exquisite cultural corridor, the most meticulous tourism corridor, and the most exciting innovation corridor.
Changzhou has excavated cultural wealth on the industrial heritage of the Grand Canal, contributing new highlights to the construction of the local cultural and tourism axis.
Huai'an has outlined a picture of "industry, culture, tourism, and ecology", promoting the resonance and mutual promotion between the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt and regional economic and social development.
Relying on the "golden waterway" of the Grand Canal and the advantages of cultural ecology, various parts of the province are promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism, and establishing the international cultural tourism brand of the "Millennium-old Grand Canal".
“We have coordinated and optimized the production, living, and ecological spaces along the Grand Canal, playing a leading and crucial role in optimizing urban space, strengthening urban functions, enhancing urban quality, and enhancing the ability to enrich the people so that we have comprehensively promoted the high-quality construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park”, Meng Aimin, Deputy Director of the Planning and Construction Administration of the Huai'an Grand Canal Cultural Belt, said.
In recent years, Jiangsu has launched a series of innovative measures to build the Grand Canal Cultural Corridor, Ecological Corridor, and Tourism Corridor by introducing the first local regulations for the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt in China, establishing the first Grand Canal Cultural and Tourism Development Fund in China, holding the only international forum with canal culture as the theme for many consecutive years, successfully creating the Grand Canal Cultural and Tourism Expo, and launching the first Chinese Canal Chronicle "Chinese Canal Chronicle".
