What Is the Central Canal?

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the world's longest mileage and the largest engineering canal in the world. It is also one of the oldest canals. It is known as the Three Great Projects of Ancient China with the Great Wall and Kan'er Jing. A great project is one of the symbols of China's cultural status. The Grand Canal starts from Yuhang (now Hangzhou) in the south, and reaches Li County (now Beijing) in the north, passing through the four provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei, Tianjin, and Beijing, and passing through the five major river systems: Haihe, Yellow, Huai, Yangtze, and Qiantang Rivers. The main water source is Nansi Lake (Weishan Lake, Weishan County, Shandong Province). The length of the Grand Canal is about 1797 kilometers. The canal has played a huge role in the economic and cultural development and exchanges between North and South China, especially the industrial and agricultural economy along the route.

Museums (2 photos)

In November 2004, the first canal museum in Liaocheng, the ancient canal capital, was built: China Canal Culture Museum. ^[19]

On December 15, 2005, the sponsors of the Canal Nominations (Three Old Canals): Zheng Xiaozheng (aged expert at 91 years old), Luo Zhewen (82 years old at cultural relics), Zhu Bingren (62 years old master of Chinese arts and crafts), the three old men joined the canal The Mayors of 18 cities along the line issued a "Letter on Accelerating the Protection of the Heritage of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Application for Heritage" ^[20] , which aroused a positive response from the cities along the canal, which opened the prelude to the canal application.

In March 2006, 58 members of the CPPCC jointly submitted a proposal to the Fourth Session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, expressly supporting the open letter of the "Three Canals of the Canal", calling for the launch of rescue protection work on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and in due course It is time to declare a World Heritage project. ^{[twenty one]}

On May 12, 2006, the CPPCC Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Protection and Relics Investigation Team held a launching ceremony in Beijing on the 12th and unveiled it. Designed by Zhu Bingren

Three old canals, from left to right Zheng Xiaozheng, Luo Zhewen, Zhu Bingren

Canal nomination memorial. ^{[twenty two]}

On May 13, 2006, a delegation of 68 experts, Zhu Bingren was invited to participate in the entire inspection from Beijing to Hangzhou. The 10-day Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal's largest expedition in the history officially began.

On May 22, 2006, 18 cities along the canal gathered in Hangzhou and formed the "Hangzhou Declaration on the Protection and Application of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal." Zhu Bingren made an expert speech to talk about "zero protection".

On May 25, 2006, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, as a great project during the Spring and Autumn to Qing Dynasty in China, was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

In September 2006, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum, a large thematic museum with the theme of canal culture, was opened in Hangzhou. ^[23-25]

On September 12, 2006, Zhu Bingren's proposal for a canal "request for inheritance" in 2005 caused a great response in the society, which gave birth to the CPPCC Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Protection and Relic Investigation Tour and the Hangzhou Seminar. "People's Suggestion Award for Excellence in 2005".

In April 2011, the Grand Canal Conservation and Heritage Application Work Conference was held in Yangzhou. The grand canal application work has entered the countdown. The heritage of the Grand Canal in 35 cities in 8 provinces including Beijing and Henan along the Grand Canal will be integrated. Apply for World Heritage Sites and strive to be listed on the World Heritage List in 2014. ^{[26] [27]}

In November 2013, the Shandong section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was included in the 8 key river sections and 15 important heritage sites protection projects that have been included in the application for heritage projects. The protection and display improvement projects for the key river sections have been completed and passed smoothly. On-site assessment by World Heritage Organization experts. ^{[28] [29-30]}

On June 22, 2014, the 38th World Heritage Conference announced that the Grand Canal Project of China was successfully listed on the World Cultural Heritage List and became China's 46th World Heritage Project. This application includes 27 sections of river heritage and 58 canal related heritages. ^[31]

On July 8, 2015, due to factors such as drought and agricultural irrigation, the Zaozhuang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was suspended for one year, and navigation was officially resumed. The Shandong section of the Grand Canal was completely open. ^[32]