Grand Canal

After a satisfying meal, our next destination was the Grand Canal. We drove directly to the Qiaoxi Historical and Cultural District. There was a small hiccup: when we reached Xiaoqiaozhi Street, the surroundings looked so artistic that we thought we'd arrived. But after parking and checking the navigation, we realized we still had more than a kilometer to go. We parked in the Qiaoxi Historical and Cultural District and, following our pre-planned itinerary, crossed Gongchen Bridge to the Canal Cultural Square across the street. The Grand Canal of China, a World Cultural Heritage site, was constructed in 486 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period. It consists of three major sections and ten sections: the Grand Canal of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and the East Zhejiang Canal. Hangzhou is the starting point of the Grand Canal. Further south, it extends to Ningbo. Along with the Great Wall and the Karez wells, the Grand Canal is considered one of the three great engineering feats of ancient China and a symbol of the great spirit of the Chinese nation. The Grand Canal spans over 10 degrees of latitude, running through China's most fertile North China Plain and the Jiangnan water towns. From north to south, it connects the five major water systems of the Haihe River, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Yangtze River, and Qiantang River. It was the main artery of north-south transportation in ancient China and represented the outstanding achievements of water conservancy and water transport engineering before the Industrial Revolution.

The Grand Canal, like a flowing epic, connects millennia of cultural heritage from north to south. As you cruise across the emerald waters, you'll see ancient bridges and piers, whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs nestled among the weeping willows on both sides. You'll feel the elegance of Emperor Qianlong's journey south and the bustling hustle and bustle of the canal trade. The heavy stone steps of Hangzhou's Gongchen Bridge, the oars and lanterns of Suzhou's water lanes, and the ecological corridors of Yangzhou's Sanwan Bay—each stretch of the canal tells a different story. Cycling the canal greenway amidst the morning mist and evening glow allows you to feel the pulse of this World Heritage site. Avoid holidays to savor this millennia-long tranquility.

How many people dream of the beautiful Jiangnan region as their hometown? Just as many have visited Jiangnan and been captivated by its beauty. And among all these beauties, Hangzhou is the ultimate paradise on earth. The ancients said, "When I recall Jiangnan, I miss Hangzhou most." I search for osmanthus blossoms in the moonlit mountain temple, and watch the tide from my pillow in the county pavilion. When will I return? I've cruised the beautiful West Lake, walked across the intertwined Broken Bridge, traversed the ever-present Solitary Mountain, climbed Leifeng Pagoda, scaled Beigaofeng, visited Lingyin Temple, and witnessed the history of Hangzhou at the Zhejiang Museum and the West Lake Museum. Hangzhou truly lives up to its reputation. Hangzhou's beauty also includes the Grand Canal, which is well worth a visit.

A night cruise on the Grand Canal cost 100 yuan per adult, and the round trip took one hour. A friendly woman on board explained the sights and provided mineral water. With such beautiful scenery and a cool breeze, I can only say that it would have been wonderful to have snacks on the boat, but unfortunately, there weren't any. Perhaps it was the night, but I felt a bit tired. I only took videos, not many photos.

The Grand Canal is the world's longest and largest ancient canal, and also one of the oldest canals. It starts from Yuhang (now Hangzhou) in the south and ends at Zhuojun (now Beijing) in the north. I was also very interested to take a look at the canal in the starting city.

With a history of more than 2,500 years, it is not an exaggeration to call it the Millennium Ancient Canal.

It's better to take a bus to experience the Grand Canal. At least the Fuyi Cang and Dadou Road that you can walk to after getting off the boat are really not interesting.

World Cultural Heritage

The Grand Canal

It has a long history and is of great significance in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The scenery is like a park, and the night view may be more beautiful at night.

There are boats on the Grand Canal that you can take, wooden boats, and you can use bus cards, which is very convenient. The disadvantage is that the intervals between trips are too long.

It has a long history and is of great significance in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The scenery is like a park, and it may be better to see the night view at night. There are two waves of night tours at 7 o'clock and 8 o'clock. We wanted to see the musical fountain, so we didn't take the night tour.

The Grand Canal is still the main waterway today, with cargo ships traveling back and forth from north to south.

The whole project is very clean and comfortable. It will be more beautiful when the lights are on at night.

Compared with West Lake, this place has far fewer tourists and is home to many museums and historical buildings.

In the rain, the Grand Canal is shrouded in mist, creating a beautiful ink-and-wash painting of mountains and rivers. The thousand-year-old Grand Canal is like the blood of Hangzhou, connecting the vitality of a city.

As the world's longest and oldest artificial waterway, it's a haven for ships plying the country from north to south. After more than two thousand years of continuous development and transformation, while it's no longer as bustling as it once was, the Grand Canal continues to function. I'm impressed by the Grand Canal's contribution to my country's economic development and social progress! The canal's banks now encompass a district encompassing historical districts, cultural parks, and museums. Due to time constraints, we only visited the Umbrella Museum and the Grand Canal Museum.

Walking along the river bank, the breeze blows through the willow branches, soft and graceful, watching the flowers blooming on each tree, and the busy shipping boats coming and going on the river.

【170515】Passing by during the night tour of training, the eyes were bright and shocking

The cargo ships are constantly flowing, and it's still very busy. I wonder if other rivers are the same. They are still functioning.

The ancient canal with a long history flows from history to the present.

The Grand Canal is the longest canal in the world. My country is so great! This statement has been true since ancient times! There were many informational resources about the Grand Canal along the canal, and I took the opportunity to tell my kids about the history of Emperor Yang of Sui's construction of the Grand Canal.

It is not only a scenic river, but also retains its transportation function. It should be called canal transport in ancient times.

During the day, you can take the canal bus from Wulinmen Wharf to Gongchen Bridge (the ticket price is about 3 yuan). There are ancient streets and several niche museums on Gongchen Bridge, which is a relatively cost-effective small attraction. At night, the bus service at Wulinmen Wharf is closed. You can buy a canal cruise ticket and take a canal cruise to enjoy the lights and scenery on both sides of the canal. It is very beautiful. If it is winter and it gets dark early, go to Gongchen Bridge in the afternoon and take the last two canal buses back in the evening. You will see the same scenery as the cruise.

Take a boat ride to experience the ancient charm of the Grand Canal. I heard there is a waterway where you can see the beautiful lights of Hangzhou at night. You can go and see it. I was busy taking a boat ride and didn’t take any photos.

There is a water bus here, and you can take a boat directly along the canal to Wulin Gate.

It feels good! I came here specifically when I first came to Hangzhou!

Hangzhou is the starting point of the Grand Canal. It houses the Grand Canal Museum, with Grand Canal Square just outside. Next to it is the Grand Canal, with Gongchen Bridge. The canal can also be seen from West Lake Square.

This area is quite wide and there are many ships sailing on it.

The construction along the line is very beautiful, not only there are museums but also ancient buildings. It is enough to play for a whole day. I heard from Hangzhou people that it is more beautiful at night.

Walking along the banks of the canal, huge barges passed by, and it was like going back to the past. It is a record of history, and you should go and see it.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the world's longest artificial canal and an important north-south waterway in my country.

Whenever I face the canal in the future, I will probably remember the wind that afternoon.

Let's take a look at the Grand Canal. It's a wonderful experience to take a water bus on the canal from Wulin Gate.

I took a stroll along the Grand Canal, which is still in use today. Even at night, under the lights, I could still imagine that it has been flowing from ancient times to the present day...

Take bus line 1 to Sanyuan to travel along the Grand Canal. The scenery in the afternoon and evening has its own unique features, and the configuration is completely like a cruise ship.

The Grand Canal, the most important north-south waterway in ancient times

This seems to be far-fetched!

The function of the canal is not obvious!

The Grand Canal is worthy of the word "Grand". The working people are amazing! The Grand Canal in Hangzhou has vast waters and a wide river surface, and cargo ships still travel there.

I once took a night cruise on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Dinner was just ordinary fast food. The cruise ship was not big and it stopped at Qianjiang New City for about half an hour to enjoy the night view.

The Grand Canal is the world's longest and largest ancient canal, and one of the oldest canals. It is known as one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Karez. It is still in use today and is a great project created by the ancient Chinese working people. It is one of the symbols of China's cultural status.

Walking along the banks of the Grand Canal, the canal is busy with many ships passing by.

The lights along the canal are beautiful. A city is lively only when there are lights. The canal carries a lot of history.

The world's longest artificial canal

A bloody history of labor

Future generations will benefit for thousands of years

The water bus is very convenient and the journey time is shorter than that of the bus on the same section. The scenery on both sides of the river is beautiful, and the historical blocks and various museums built along the coast are quite unique.

Hangzhou is one of the cities along the Grand Canal, so when you come to Hangzhou, you will naturally walk along the Grand Canal. Although the riverside is basically full of modern buildings, you can still feel a hint of history.

If you're tired of the hustle and bustle of West Lake and the aimless wandering of shopping malls, a stroll along the canal offers a chance to enjoy a slower pace. If you prefer not to hike but still want to experience the canal's charm, boat tours and water buses are great options. Alternatively, you can do as I did, hiking first and then returning by boat from Gongchen Bridge to savor the canal's charm. The canal's hiking trails are well-designed, divided into a greenway along the river and paths in the riverside park, allowing you to choose your own path. The greenway offers sweeping views of the canal, a refreshing breeze, and the sight of boats passing by, with the occasional bird soaring by. Every so often, there are benches where you can sit and relax, watching the boats pass by, sometimes spending an entire afternoon there. Several bridges traverse the canal, their piers adorned with sculptures.

This! I have to give it a try! There's nothing else to explain.

The canal is not very wide, but it was my first time to see this ancient engineering project in real life, and I was very excited.

I have seen the Grand Canal in Yangzhou and Hangzhou. The transportation in Yangzhou is quite busy, while the Grand Canal in Hangzhou has become a scenic river, adding a lot of color to the real estate projects nearby.

I like the scenery near the canal, and there are several museums, which are definitely worth a visit.

Feel the Grand Canal full of historical atmosphere. Relatively speaking, there are not many tourists in the Grand Canal area, so it is suitable for a leisurely stroll.

Take a boat at Wulin Square Pier for the best night view. It's a bit cold on the boat, so remember to bring some clothes. There are food for the round trip. It's fun to sit quietly and imagine yourself as an ancient person.

At the pier opposite the Wulin Pavilion of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, you can take a boat tour of the Grand Canal. You can see part of the Grand Canal, which is very shocking. There are sightseeing boats and water buses. When I went there, the sightseeing boats were not in operation, so I took a water bus to experience it. I thought it was great. The boat ticket was only three yuan. It really benefits the present and future generations.

The Grand Canal. Successfully nominated for World Heritage status. Hopefully, it will be protected!

The water bus at Wulin Square allows you to cruise along the Grand Canal. It costs 3 yuan per person during the day, but it's quite expensive at night, with tickets costing tens or even hundreds of yuan.

I've seen a lot of night views, and this is more suitable for people like me who prefer to see the local scenery. If you're not in a hurry for a self-guided tour, it's great to take a boat and enjoy the scenery slowly.

There aren't many flights, though. I couldn't find it when I went there, so I took a picture of it this time. Hopefully, it'll be helpful for future travelers. (If it seems to be damaging to the travel agency, I'll delete it immediately.)

Taking the local water bus is a unique experience. The museum is nice and the Gongchen Bridge at the end is full of the flavor of the Jiangnan water town and is worth visiting.

Looking at the willow trees draping the banks of the canal, the lush flowers and leaves in full bloom, and people strolling leisurely along the trails on both sides, one can only marvel at the greatness of the Chinese people. This canal, from Yuhang to Zhuojun, has gone through thousands of years since the Sui Dynasty and still nourishes both banks.

If you have time, be sure to take a walk along the canal. The scenery on both sides of the canal is picturesque.

What impressed me most about Hangzhou was not the West Lake, but the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal gave Hangzhou hope and passion!

I stumbled across this spot from Xiaohezhi Street and saw the Grand Canal, a canal we've always seen in history textbooks. Standing on the bridge, feeling the breeze, I imagined the once bustling scenery along both sides of the canal. The ancients never underestimated it.

It is worthwhile to take the water bus from Grand Canal Square to Wulin Square and enjoy the scenery along the way.

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The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Artery, a great creation of ancient times, is worth a visit

The Grand Canal is quiet and peaceful at night, with flashing lights and a poetic and picturesque atmosphere. I hope I can see you again in autumn!

I have to say that the boat ticket is really a conscience price, it only costs three yuan to get on the boat from Wulin Pier

Suitable for evening walks, the scenery is different throughout the year

The night is more beautiful, the surrounding environment is nice, and the breeze is very comfortable.

It was very nice, the view was even better at night, and the boat trip was super cheap, the same price as the bus.

The night view is super beautiful, highly recommended...

A recently developed attraction and one of the world heritage sites

Several urban revitalization projects have been designed within the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (Hangzhou Scenic Area), such as a live handicraft exhibition hall that brings together oil-paper umbrellas, silk fabrics, and wooden products, and regularly organizes experiential production activities to attract tourists.

Several urban revitalization projects have been designed within the Grand Canal (Hangzhou Scenic Area). For example, a living handicraft exhibition hall showcases oil-paper umbrellas, silk fabrics, and wood products, hosting regular hands-on workshops to attract visitors. Furthermore, old warehouses have been converted into cinemas and restaurants; old residences have been preserved and homestays and cultural industries have been introduced; and museums dedicated to fans, umbrellas, and swords have been established.

Although the function of shipping has declined compared to ancient times, it has gained new development through the overall revitalization of the scenic area. However, in terms of the layout of scenic spots, the various attractions are relatively scattered and lack distinctive features.

The main scenic spots include: Gongchen Bridge Qiaoxi Historical and Cultural Block, Handicraft Live Exhibition Hall, Chinese Fan Museum, Chinese Knife, Scissors and Sword Museum, Chinese Umbrella Museum, and Xiaohezhi Street Historical and Cultural Block.

This is the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal. According to the Song Dynasty, it was connected to the Tianjin section of the Grand Canal.

We originally wanted to take a water bus, but unfortunately we missed the previous boat and had to wait a very long time for the next one, so we can only experience it next time we come to Hangzhou.

Cycling along the Grand Canal is definitely a pleasant experience!

I think I saw it in Wuzhen...

During the Lantern Festival, you can take a boat tour at the ferry terminal. The night view is great and there are explanations. It can be said that the flower market is as bright as day.

The canal is still used for transportation, so the water is a little muddy. The river banks have been well repaired. It is very pleasant to walk along the canal.