National Parks of China
Overview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (cultural, 2014) |
| Name | 大运河 |
| Country | China |
| Nearby cities | Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou |
| Nearby sites | Mount Putuo 82km, Mount Tiantai 93km, West Lake, Hangzhou 142km, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 161km, Classical Gardens of Suzhou 183km Search nearby |
| Rivers and lakes | Grand Canal |
| Latitude, longitude | 29.87, 121.56 Google Maps |
| Themes | River, Culture, Canals |
About
The Grand Canal (大运河) was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 as a cultural site.
Travel tips
What to see: the Grand Canal is a serial site made of many sections and related remains; the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal alone is about 1,794 km long, so visitors normally choose a few cities along it rather than the whole route.
Hangzhou: the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is near Gongchen Bridge, a stone arch bridge. The China Grand Canal Museum and a waterside promenade are close by, and boat trips run on the canal.
Suzhou: Pan Gate, Baodai Bridge and the Shantang and Pingjiang historic districts are part of the heritage site. Boats run on the water in the evening, and the classical gardens can be visited by day.
Yangzhou: a canal city whose heritage sites include the Slender West Lake, Mengcheng post station and the old Shaobo embankment; boat rides are available in town.
Northern sections: Beijing lies at the northern end, Huai'an has the Qingkou water-control complex, and the Nanwang water-control hub lies near Jining in Shandong. Many stretches are laid out as canal parks.
Getting there: Suzhou, Hangzhou and Yangzhou all have high-speed rail; from Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou are about half an hour to an hour away, so day trips are easy, and several cities can be linked.
Time: two or three days are enough for Hangzhou and Suzhou; following the canal through more cities needs a week or more.
Season: spring and autumn are best; summer is hot and wet, and in winter the northern channels freeze and boats may not run.
Why it was inscribed
The World Heritage Committee found that it meets criteria (i), (iii), (iv), (vi) of the ten selection criteria:
(i) a masterpiece of human creative genius.
(iii) a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.
(iv) an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history.
(vi) directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas or beliefs, or with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
Description (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
The Grand Canal is a vast waterway system in the north-eastern and central-eastern plains of China, running from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang province in the south. Constructed in sections from the 5th century BC onwards, it was conceived as a unified means of communication for the Empire for the first time in the 7th century AD (Sui dynasty). This led to a series of gigantic construction sites, creating the world’s largest and most extensive civil engineering project prior to the Industrial Revolution. It formed the backbone of the Empire’s inland communication system, transporting grain
Photo credits: The Grand Canal seen from Gongchen Bridge, Hangzhou: Windmemories (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | West Lake, Hangzhou 142km, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 161km, Classical Gardens of Suzhou 183km |
| National parks | Mount Xuedou 39km, Mount Putuo 82km, Mount Tianmu (Tianlao) 84km, Mount Tiantai 93km |
| AAAAA attractions | Tianyi Pavilion - Moon Lake Scenic Area 2km, Xikou-Tengtou Tourist Area 33km, Lu Xun's Hometown - Shen Garden Scenic Area 95km, Taizhou Prefectural City Cultural Tourist Area 122km |
| AAAA attractions | Ningbo Old Bund <1km, Ningbo Ocean World 3km, Ningbo Science Exploration Center 6km, Ningbo Museum 7km |
| Historic cities | Ningbo 1km, Shaoxing 95km |
| Cities | Hangzhou 141km, Shanghai 147km |
| Historical sites | Qing'an Guild Hall <1km, Qianye Guildhall <1km, Yongfengku Site 1km, Lin Residence 2km |