Protection of the Grand Canal in Sui and Tang Dynasties

20 14 On June 22nd, the 38th World Heritage Conference held in Doha, Qatar announced that China's Grand Canal project was successfully selected into the World Cultural Heritage List. It became the 46th World Heritage Project in China. The Grand Canal is an artificial canal with the earliest construction time, the longest use time and the largest spatial span in the world. It has been excavated for more than 600 years, and it is a precious legacy left by the Chinese nation to the world.

He' nan section

The Grand Canal in Sui and Tang Dynasties took Luoyang as the center, with Tongji Canal and Yongji Canal extending in a herringbone shape, connecting Zhuo Jun in the north and Yuhang in the south, which became the main artery of north-south traffic in ancient China.

Henan section of the Grand Canal mainly refers to Tongji Canal and Yongji Canal, the main roads of the Grand Canal in Sui and Tang Dynasties. The Henan section of the Grand Canal has been selected into seven World Heritage Projects, involving six cities and counties, including Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Shangqiu, Anyang, Xunxian County of Hebi City and hua county, a county directly under the provincial government. It covers complete heritage types such as rivers, docks, riverbanks, bridges, silos and hydraulic facilities, including Luoyang Huiluocang Site and Hanjiacang Site, Tongji Canal (Bianhe) Zhengzhou Section, Tongji Canal (Bianhe) Shangqiu Nanguan Section, Tongji Canal (Bianhe) Shangqiu Xiayi Section and Yongji Canal (Weihe). In particular, the discovery of three large-scale imperial granary sites, arranged in an orderly manner and on a grand scale, strongly proves the important role of the Sui and Tang Grand Canal in safeguarding major military operations and economic development.

The follow-up projects of the Henan section of the Grand Canal include Shangqiu Ancient City, the ruins of Tokyo City in the Northern Song Dynasty, Xingyang Old City, Luokoucang Ruins, Yunxi Bridge, Hehe Stone Bridge, Fangchengyan Ruins, Baiquan and Weiyuan Temple.

Hebei section

The Grand Canal in Hebei Province flows through Langfang, Cangzhou, Hengshui, Xingtai and Handan in Hebei Province, and three places were selected, namely Xiejiaba in Lian Zhen Town, Dongguang County, Cangzhou, Huajiakou Ram in Hengshui County and Zhangzhou-Dezhou Canal Channel.

Up to now, the flow direction and river course of the Hebei section of the Sui and Tang Grand Canal have remained basically unchanged, and its authenticity and integrity have been well maintained, which can effectively display the characteristics of the North Canal. Therefore, this section is an important part of the application for the Grand Canal. For example, the channel from Cangzhou to Dezhou uses the bend of the river course to slow down the water flow, which is obviously different from the method of controlling the water flow through the sluice of the South Canal.

According to archaeological survey statistics, the Handan section of the Grand Canal is rich in remains, with a total length of 1.4 1.8km and a drainage area of 70 1.5 km2, which preserves a large number of material and intangible cultural heritages related to the Canal.