Life Or Death Of The Grand Canal

It is an interpretative reporting on the protection and development of the Grand Ca n-al.On June 22nd of 2014,the 38th World Heritage Convention voted to include the Grand Canal of China on the World Heritage List.The Grand Canal of China is the longest and oldest artificial waterway in the world.From Fuchai,the King of the State of Wu in Spring and Autumn Period who ordered to construct Han Gou between the Yangtze River and the Huai River,to Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty who ordered to construct the Grand Canal,this life cord on the vast land of China has been flowing and vibrating till the present day.These visible remains are not what is only left to the expanse of China by the Canal The boats and ships coming to and fro between the south and the north,not only bring prosperity,but also quietly change the local customs and practices on both sides of the waterway.The population mobility and mixture promote the immersion of cultures and customs between the north and the south,thus giving birth to the colorful and splendid cultures alongside the canals.All these cultures and customs are now still nurturing 300 million of Chinese people alongside the canals.Since it was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List,the Grand Canal seems to have become one of the hot concerns overnight,and the cities alongside it are all involved in the large-scale development and protection of the Canal.However,can this "Great Leap Forward" development really help to protect the Canal?From July of 2018 to early 2019,we visited the key cities alongside the Grand Canal,including Shaoxing,Hangzhou,Suzhou,Yangzhou,Huai'an,Jining,Zaozhuang,Linqing and Beijing etc..On the basis of many field investigations and expert interviews,some problems were found in the protection and development of the Grand Canal.For example,many experts are calling for the full resumption of navigation in the dry Grand Canal,but this will cause devastating damage to the original watercourse.Besides,a lot of canal cities are now competing to build kinds of museums and theme parks,and real estate development also thrive along the Canal.But these activities not only waste resources,but also destroy the original canal features.So,how can we protect this ancient Canal?And how to stay calm in this craze?This in-depth investigation,by a careful examination of the chaos after the successful inscription of the Grand Canal on the World Heritage List,will aim to give a clear answer to the reasonable protection of the Canal.