Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal

Table of Contents - Geographic Location

- History

- Significance

- Nomination for World Heritage Site

- Appeal

- Digital Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal

- Objectives of the Governance of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the world's longest manmade river, and is also one of the oldest canals It is one of the oldest canals in the world. It is known all over the world as one of the two great projects of China's ancient times, together with the Great Wall of China.

Geographic location

The Beijing-Hangzhou Canal starts from Beijing in the north and ends at Hangzhou in the south, passing through the cities of Beijing and Tianjin as well as the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and communicating with the five water systems of the Haihe River, the Yellow River, the Huaihe River, the Yangtze River and the Qiantang River. The total length is 1794 kilometers.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is composed of artificial rivers and some rivers and lakes***, and can be divided into seven sections:

(1) Tonghui River; (2) North Canal; (3) South Canal; (4) Lu Canal; (5) Central Canal; (6) Li Canal; and (7) Jiangnan Canal.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal has played a great role in history as the transportation artery between the north and the south. The navigation of the canal promoted the rapid development of coastal cities.

At present, the navigable mileage of Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is 1,442 kilometers, of which 877 kilometers are navigable throughout the year, mainly distributed in Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces south of the Yellow River.

Hangzhou Grand Canal ditto Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal starts from Beijing in the north and reaches Hangzhou in the south, flowing through six provinces and cities of Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, with a total length of 1,794 kilometers, which is ten times longer than the Suez Canal and twenty times longer than the Panama Canal, and it is the world's longest artificially-excavated canal.

The end point, into the Qiantang River.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal flows through 18 urban areas of Beijing, Tongzhou, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Zhenjiang, Qingjiang, Yangzhou, Taierzhuang, Linqing, Suzhou, Jiaxing, Xuancheng, Huai'an, Xuzhou, Liaocheng, Jining, Dezhou and Cangzhou.

Tongzhou ancient poem: a tower shadow recognized Tongzhou. The Burning Lamp Pagoda stands at the northern end of the Grand Canal and is the landmark of Tongzhou, the capital gate. The North Canal and the South Canal meet in Tianjin, where they are sent into the Bohai Sea by the Haihe River. According to records, during the period of developed transportation, the North Canal from Tianjin to Tongzhou carried 20,000 grain-carrying canal boats and 120,000 officials and soldiers every year, together with 30,000 merchant ships***. The opening of the waterway made the small Zhigu Zhai quickly developed into the famous "Tianjin Wei".

Zhenjiang, Yangzhou Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal intersection. Liaocheng lake, river area of 1 / 3 of the city, known as the "Venice of Northern China", very rare in northern cities, which has the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Suzhou, "Suzhou Lake is ripe, the world's feet". The opening of the canal made Suzhou rich in water and grain. At present, there are passenger routes to and from the Suzhou-Hangzhou section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. At the mouth of the Grand Canal in Huai'an, under the dock of the ancient town on the east bank of the canal is the former residence of Wu Cheng'en, the author of "Journey to the West".

History

The opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou People's Canal can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At that time, King Helu of Wu, in order to expand his sphere of influence to the west, ordered the excavation of the Xuxi River, which runs directly from Taihu Lake to the Yangtze River.

As early as 2,400 years ago, the state of Wu, in order to fight against the state of Qi in the north for the Central Plains, excavated a canal (called Gan Ditch) near Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, which drew water from the Yangtze River into the Huaihe River, and later developed and extended the canal from the north to the south, especially through the Sui Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty, the second large-scale expansion and renovation, which basically completes the scale of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal today. Many sections of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal utilize the original natural rivers and lakes, and some sections are dug by hand, and the water flow of the Canal is mainly replenished from the natural channels of communication.

By the time of Emperor Yang (Yang Guang) of Sui, it is said that Emperor Yang excavated the Beijing-Huaihuai section of the canal to the south of the Yangtze River, which is more than 2,000 kilometers long, in order to see the Qionghua flowers in Yangzhou, and also for the transportation of southern grain to the north. To the Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan capital (now Beijing), must open the canal to transport food from the south to the north. To this end, three sections of the river were excavated, and the original horizontal canal of the Sui Dynasty, centered in Luoyang, was built into a longitudinal Grand Canal centered in Metropolis and running south to Hangzhou. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is divided into seven sections according to geographic location: from Beijing to Tongzhou District, called Tonghui River, 82 kilometers long; from Tongzhou District to Tianjin, called the North Canal, 186 kilometers long; from Tianjin to Linqing, called the South Canal, 400 kilometers long; from Linqing to Tai'erzhuang, called the LU Canal, 500 kilometers long; from Tai'erzhuang to Huaiyin, called the Middle Canal, 186 kilometers long; from Huaiyin to Guazhou, called the Li-Canal, 180 kilometers long; from Zhenjiang to Hangzhou, called the Jiangnan Canal, 330 kilometers long. The Jiangnan Canal is about 330 kilometers long. Yangzhou is a famous city of the Li Canal. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty dug a canal in the city, and since then Yangzhou has become a hub of transportation between the north and the south, and has become one of the most prosperous regions in China, taking advantage of the waterway.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Canal has always been a major transportation route, playing a major role in economic and cultural exchanges between the north and the south. In the 19th century, the role of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal gradually diminished with the opening of the Jinpu Railway. After the migration of the Yellow River, the section of the river in Shandong had insufficient water, the river was silted and shallow, cut off from the north and south, and silted into flat land. The section in Jiangsu Province, which had a larger amount of water and better navigational conditions, could only pass small wooden sailing boats. Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is deserted, depressed, is a reflection of China's semi-colonial and semi-feudal system. After the liberation, some sections of the canal have been widened and deepened, and many modern docks and locks have been built, so the navigation conditions have been improved. The seasonal navigable mileage has reached more than 1,100 kilometers. More than 660 kilometers of waterway south of Pixian County, Jiangsu Province, the 500-ton fleet can be unimpeded. The ancient Beijing-Hangzhou Canal will have to become a water transfer channel for south-to-north water transfer in the future.

Significance

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is a great project created by the ancient laboring people of China, a precious material and spiritual wealth left to us by our ancestors, and a living, flowing and important human heritage. The Grand Canal started in the Spring and Autumn Period, formed in the Sui Dynasty, and developed in the Tang and Song Dynasties. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was built more than 2,000 years ago during the Spring and Autumn Period, which is 2,500 years ago, and an important river channel was excavated by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (嬴政), who also laid down the direction of the Jiangnan Canal in the future, within the territory of Jiaxing. According to "The Book of Yue Jie", Emperor Qin Shi Huang "ruled the Lingshui Road from Jiaxing to Qiantang and Yue land, which led to Zhejiang Province". About 2500 years ago, King Wu Fuchai dug Gan Gan ditch, opened the canal connecting the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, and built Gan City, from which the canal and its culture derived.

The Grand Canal, as we call it today, was excavated in the Spring and Autumn period, completed in the Sui dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, straightened in the Yuan dynasty, and dredged in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the beginning of the excavation in 486 BC to the opening of the entire route in 1293 AD), and lasted for 1,779 years before and after ****. In the long years, the main experience of three larger repair process. To the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang used millions of people, excavated through the Grand Canal, which made a great contribution to the country's unprecedented economic and cultural prosperity in the future), the Sui Dynasty began to open the whole line, through the development of the Tang and Song dynasties, and ultimately in the Yuan Dynasty to become the communication of the Sea River, the Yellow River, the Huaihe River, the Yangtze River, the Qiantang River, the five waterways, the north-south transportation arteries.

Generation of artificial Tianhe.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the second "golden waterway" in China after the Yangtze River. Its value is comparable to that of the Great Wall, which is the earliest and longest artificial river in the world, 16 times that of the Suez Canal and 33 times that of the Panama Canal.

Declaring World Heritage

In March 2006, 58 CPPCC members jointly submitted a proposal to the fourth session of the 10th CPPCC National Committee, calling for the rescue and protection of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal from a strategic height, and declaring the World Heritage project in due course.

These 58 members, both Beijing, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Hebei and other six provinces and cities along the Grand Canal of the current chairman of the CPPCC and the former chairman of the CPPCC, but also before and after the State Administration of Cultural Heritage two directors - Zhang Wenbin and Shan Jixiang. Shu Yi, Wang Tiecheng and other celebrities have also signed.

Liu Feng, the first sponsor, said the Grand Canal with its deep historical and cultural connotations, known as the "Ancient Cultural Corridor", "Ancient Science and Technology Library", "Museum of Sights" and "Folklore Showroom". "Folklore showroom", its historical remains is the study of ancient China's political, economic, cultural, social and other aspects of the excellent physical information, is China's long history and civilization of the best witness. Viewed from the height of protecting human civilization, the Grand Canal is not only unique in China, but also recognized worldwide for its role in the development of human history. The Grand Canal water system stretches for thousands of miles across the north and south, constituting a unique natural flavor and nurturing a strong linear cultural landscape, which is even richer when added to the intangible cultural heritage that has not yet been well explored. "If you add up the historical value, cultural connotation and contribution of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to China's historical development, it can be said to be comparable to the Great Wall in a way." Two authoritative experts - Zheng Xiao Xie and Luo Zhe Wen, who called for China's accession to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985 - predicted so, "We firmly believe that the success rate of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal's 'bid for inscription' is very high. "

"The Grand Canal and the Great Wall should be sisters on the heritage list." Liu Feng members reminded that, but must see, with the economic and social development, the Grand Canal's traditional function gradually weakened, authenticity and integrity is being destroyed. If you do not pay attention to start such as "heritage" such a major, for the protection of local attention, her history and culture, relics and natural scenery, etc., will inevitably degradation and rapid extinction, which will be the Chinese nation irreparable great loss.

The protection of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and "heritage" work is by no means a local and departmental affairs. The CPPCC members suggested that the rescue and protection of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal should be started immediately from a strategic height, and a research organization should be set up with the participation and support of relevant ministries and commissions, experts, and coastal governments to map out the Grand Canal, formulate an overall protection plan for the Grand Canal as soon as possible, and declare the project as a World Heritage Site at an appropriate time.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is a great project created by the ancient working people of China, which is a precious material and spiritual wealth left to us by our ancestors, and is a living, flowing and important human heritage. The Grand Canal began in the Spring and Autumn Period, was formed in the Sui Dynasty, developed in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and finally became a major water transportation route connecting the Hai River, the Yellow River, the Huai River, the Yangtze River, and the Qiantang River in the Yuan Dynasty, running through the north and south. In the course of more than two thousand years of history, the Grand Canal has made important contributions to China's economic development, national unity, social progress and cultural prosperity, and still plays a great role today.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal shows the outstanding achievements of China's ancient water conservancy and shipping engineering technology leading the world, leaving behind rich historical and cultural relics, nurturing a bright pearl of famous cities and towns, and accumulating a profound and long-lasting cultural heritage, condensing a huge amount of information on many areas of our country's politics, economy, culture, and society. The Grand Canal and the Great Wall are symbols of the cultural identity of the Chinese nation. Protecting the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is of great significance to the inheritance of human civilization and the promotion of harmonious social development.

With the development of economy and society, the traditional transportation function of the Grand Canal has been changed, and the river, the landscape along the river and the people's life have changed a lot, and now it is facing the serious challenge of modernization of the city and construction of rural urbanization. If protection is not strengthened, the historical and cultural remains, scenery and natural ecological environment of the Grand Canal will inevitably be destroyed, and its authenticity and integrity will cease to exist, which will be an irreparable loss for the Chinese nation. The salvage protection of the Grand Canal and the realization of sustainable development have come to a critical juncture.

━━From a national strategic level, establish a unified coordinating body, formulate laws and regulations for the protection of the Grand Canal, coordinate the protection and development planning, mobilize the strengths of all parties, implement effective protection, and utilize the Grand Canal in a scientific and reasonable manner for the benefit of future generations.

━━━In accordance with the requirements of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, we attach importance to and launch the application for the inscription of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and adopt innovative ideas to correctly deal with the relationship between natural heritage, cultural heritage and intangible cultural heritage, as well as correctly deal with the relationship between protection, utilization and development, so as to practically turn the process of the application for the inscription of the Grand Canal into the process of strengthening the protection and management of the Grand Canal.

━━━ As soon as possible, a research organization should be set up with the participation and full support of relevant ministries and commissions, relevant experts, and cities along the route, to collect information, map out the family background, and carry out investigation, research, and value assessment work in a serious scientific attitude, and put forward feasible proposals to the relevant departments.

━━To implement the scientific concept of development, pay more attention to the overall appearance of the Grand Canal during the planning and implementation of economic and social development along the Grand Canal, ensure that the cultural relics along the route are effectively protected, rationally utilize the resources, maintain the ecological environment, and realize the sustainable development, so as to make the ancient Canal rejuvenate its youth and vitality.

Digitalization of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal

In order to better protect the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and declare the world cultural heritage, China will "excavate" the "digitalization of the Beijing Grand Canal"

The National Conference on Science and Technology for Social Development, which was held in Beijing at the beginning of May 2007, proposed that China will carry out the "digitalization" of the Grand Canal at the beginning of May. Development of science and technology meeting held in Beijing in early May 2007, China will be in the "Eleventh Five-Year" period to implement the digital Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal special.

According to the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan for the Development of Cultural Heritage Protection Science and Technology" issued by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, our experts will formulate standards for the collection of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal residences on the basis of the existing research results, systematically carry out investigation and evaluation, and utilize the global positioning system (GPS) and other technological means to establish a comprehensive information system on the cultural heritage of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The experts will also utilize GPS and other technical means to establish a comprehensive information system on the cultural heritage of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

The Plan introduces that this system can unify the non-spatial data of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal such as text, pictures, maps and remote sensing images under the same geographic reference coordinate system, realize the unification of management through text and graphics, realize the two-way query and retrieval through text and graphics and browse, query, analyze and map the images, and form a database of basic information to provide a basis for the implementation of the It provides strong support for the protection, research, display, management and decision-making of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Governance Goals

In recent years, the total annual water consumption within the Taihu Lake Basin is 29 billion cubic meters, while the average multi-year water resources in the basin region is only 16.2 billion cubic meters, excluding the part that can not be utilized due to pollution, the Taihu Lake Basin's population of more than 30 million people annually to create a GDP of nearly one trillion yuan, the water consumption is actually twice as much as the actual amount of resources. Due to the Taihu Lake Basin water pollution control and economic development and the number of people in the basin is not coordinated, the basin of water pollution is very serious, so that the Taihu Lake Basin is facing a serious situation of water quality type of water shortage. According to the continuous water quality monitoring and evaluation during the three years from 1998 to 2000, despite the fact that the central and local governments at all levels have increased their efforts to prevent and control water pollution in the basin in recent years, the water quality of the Taihu Lake has not yet been significantly improved, and the eutrophication of the lake as a whole has not yet been significantly improved, and in 2000, the total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and chemical oxygen demand were far from reaching the planning and management objectives; the river network has not been effectively controlled, and in some places, there has been a deterioration in the water quality. Effective control, and in some places there is a trend of deterioration, the Taihu Lake Basin water resources are facing a serious situation.

On the other hand, after the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal communicates with the Qiantang River, with the development of Hangzhou city, ship transportation plays an important role in economic construction, but also produces a lot of negative impacts, the noise of the ship and the emission of exhaust gases has seriously affected the quality of life of the public, the ship sailing occurred in a number of accidents involving the bridge, the key protected cultural relics, such as the Gongchen Bridge, but also constitutes an unavoidable threat. The uneven appearance image of cargo ships is also very incongruous with the current landscape of the river, and there have been a number of ship collision, damage to landscape facilities, to a certain extent, affecting the construction of Hangzhou quality of life city. If the Canal Hangzhou to Tangqi section to stop the freight ship navigation, changed to a completely tourist river, the tourism economy generated by the benefits and the economic benefits of the real estate industry along the coast, will be huge.

Therefore, the opening of the Qiantang River water system Fuchun River and the Taihu Lake water system Dongcaosi waterway, communicating the Qiantang River and Taihu Lake watershed, leading the Fuchun River's high-quality water, naturally flowing through the Dongcaosi River, flushing out the poor quality of the Taihu Lake water system, for the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou region and Shanghai to provide high-quality water, improve the water resources environment of these areas, and after gradually intercepting the sewage into the pipeline, so that the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal and its forked river to become a high-quality tap water source for Hangzhou, Jiaxing The Beijing-Hangzhou Canal and its forks will become the source of high-quality tap water for Hangzhou, Jiaxing and other cities, which is of practical significance and has a vision of sustainable development. In order to ensure the safety of ship navigation and water quality from ship pollution, as well as to save land resources, the electrified light rail with international advanced level is adopted to control ship navigation, so as to realize the safe and saving navigation mode with low channel grade and high navigational capacity, and to take the lead in realizing the green navigation in the country.

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