In accordance with the requirements of the “Construction Plan for the Great Wall, Grand Canal and Long March National Cultural Park” (hereinafter referred to as the “Construction Plan”) issued by the Central Committee and the State Council, the Leading Group for the Construction of the National Cultural Park recently issued the “Grand Canal National Cultural Park Construction and Protection Plan” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”). To this end, the person in charge of the Office of the National Cultural Park Construction Leading Group was interviewed by reporters to introduce the relevant situation of the Plan.
Q: What is the background to the issuance of the Plan?
A: The construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park is an important decision and deployment made by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, a major cultural project promoted and implemented by the state, and a cultural experience space that inherits the historical and cultural symbols of Chinese civilization, unites China’s strength, and improves the quality of people’s lives. The preparation and issuance of the Plan is mainly based on two considerations.
(1) Fully implement the major decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the Grand Canal is a precious heritage left to us by our ancestors, a mobile culture, which should be protected, inherited and used in an overall manner, and required that the protection of the cultural heritage of the Grand Canal be unified with the improvement of ecological environmental protection, the protection and restoration of famous cities and towns along the route, the integrated development of cultural tourism, and the transformation and upgrading of canal shipping, which pointed out the direction for promoting the cultural protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal at a high level. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee clearly proposed to inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture, strengthen the systematic protection of important cultural and natural heritage and intangible cultural heritage, and build the Grand Canal National Cultural Park. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the “Opinions on the Implementation of the Project for the Inheritance and Development of Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture”, which clarified the guiding ideology, principles, goals and tasks for the inheritance and development of the Grand Canal culture and other excellent traditional Chinese culture. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Outline of the Planning for the Protection, Inheritance and Utilization of the Grand Canal Culture (hereinafter referred to as the “Planning Outline”), which clarifies the overall ideas and step paths for the construction of the Grand Canal cultural belt, ecological belt and tourism belt in order to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of the Grand Canal culture. The “Construction Plan” issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council puts forward specific requirements for further building the Grand Canal National Cultural Park and making the Grand Canal an important symbol of Chinese culture. The outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the long-term goals for 2035 released in March this year clearly stated that the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park is a key task during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
(2) Strengthen the systematic and all-round construction and protection of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park. As a flowing cultural heritage, the Grand Canal has a large geographical space span, a long continuous use time, many cultural heritage resources, and a good foundation for economic and social development, which is a living heritage with a history of more than 2,500 years, a historical witness of the prosperity of the Chinese nation, and a high-quality carrier of the cultural genes of the Chinese nation and the socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. For a long time, however, the Grand Canal has been systematic and comprehensive.The protection of heritage and cultural display is insufficient, the protection, excavation and interpretation of the rich and excellent traditional culture carried by the Grand Canal is not enough, the influence and attraction in the world is limited, the spatial control, environmental protection, industrial development, urban and rural construction, institutional mechanism and other work around the entity of the Grand Canal need to be improved, and the task of promoting regional high-quality development led by culture is still arduous. Promoting the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park, deeply explaining and vividly demonstrating the important role of the Grand Canal in promoting the development and evolution of Chinese history and Chinese civilization, is of great significance and far-reaching influence.
To implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and instructions on protecting, inheriting and making good use of the Grand Canal, in accordance with the overall deployment and specific requirements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, in order to better promote the protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal culture, accelerate the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park, create an important symbol of Chinese culture, further strengthen cultural self-confidence, fully demonstrate the lasting influence of China’s excellent traditional culture and the strong vitality of advanced socialist culture, the National Development and Reform Commission took the lead in compiling and forming this Plan.
Q: What has been done to implement the Plan?
A: According to the relevant work arrangements of the Planning Outline and the Construction Plan, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments and provinces (cities) along the Grand Canal, has solidly promoted the protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal culture and the construction of national cultural parks, and achieved positive results.
(1) Establish and complete coordination mechanisms to promote efficient operation of work. The Central Propaganda Department took the lead in establishing a leading group for the construction of national cultural parks, and the National Development and Reform Commission submitted to the State Council for approval to lead the establishment of the working mechanism of the inter-ministerial joint conference on the protection and inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal culture, responsible for specifically and comprehensively promoting the protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal and the construction of national cultural parks. All eight provinces (cities) along the Belt and Road have set up work leading groups headed by responsible comrades of party committees and governments. At the same time, all relevant departments and localities have established special working mechanisms such as water and navigation, space management and control, and rectification of ecological and environmental problems, and jointly studied and solved major special problems.
(2) Accelerate the improvement of top-level design, and enhance the leading role of planning. The National Development and Reform Commission and relevant departments have compiled four special plans, including the protection and display of cultural heritage of the Grand Canal, the management and management of river systems, the restoration of ecological environmental protection, and the integrated development of culture and tourism, guided the preparation and introduction of eight sub-provincial implementation plans in eight provinces (cities) along the route, formed a “four beams and eight pillars” planning system, and led the preparation and issuance of the “14th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Inheritance and Utilization of Grand Canal Culture”.
(3) Increase project support and steadily advance the construction of major projects. Through organizing and implementing cultural protection, inheritance and utilization projects, the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park will be included in the scope of support. In the past two years, a total of more than 1 billion yuan has been invested in the central budget to support the construction of 23 Grand Canal National Cultural Park projects, this year.On June 16, the Grand Canal Museum of China in Yangzhou was completed and put into use.
(4) Strengthen departmental division of labor and coordination, and advance the implementation of special tasks. On June 26, the Beijing Tongzhou section of the North Canal and the Langfang section of Hebei Province were opened to tourism navigation. The protection and inheritance of cultural heritage has become more powerful, Zhejiang and other countries have launched the upgrading of the monitoring and early warning platform of the Grand Canal cultural relics and the pilot of provincial sections, and Jiangsu and Shandong have issued laws and regulations on the protection of the heritage of the Grand Canal. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment has issued 6 billion yuan in water pollution prevention and control funds to support the prevention and control of water pollution in eight provinces (cities) along the Grand Canal. The provinces (cities) along the Grand Canal have completed 318 works, are currently creating, and plan to create 142 works, and specially carried out the “Charming Grand Canal” theme publicity activities during the 2021 “May Day” holiday, and the 2021 “Walking the Grand Canal” national fitness walking activity has exceeded one million online and offline participants.
Q: What is the general idea of strengthening the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park?
A: The Grand Canal has a total length of nearly 3,200 kilometers and a history of more than 2,500 years, involving eight provinces (cities) in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong and Henan.
(1) Accurately grasp the guiding ideology. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Plan deeply implements the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee, takes the scientific protection, generational inheritance and rational utilization of the Grand Canal culture as its purpose, and based on a series of cultural relics and cultural resources along the Grand Canal with clear themes, clear connotations and outstanding influence, deeply excavates the profound cultural value and spiritual connotation carried by the Grand Canal, and vividly presents the unique creation, value concept and distinctive characteristics of the Grand Canal culture. Comprehensively build four functional divisions such as control and protection, theme display, cultural and tourism integration, and traditional utilization, solidly promote five key basic projects such as protection and inheritance, research and excavation, environmental support, cultural and tourism integration, and digital reproduction, expand and strengthen the canal, an important symbol of Chinese culture, continue the thousand-year-old charm of the magnificent canal, and protect, inherit and make good use of the Grand Canal to become a bright business card for publicizing China’s image, displaying Chinese civilization and highlighting cultural confidence in the new era.
(2) Comprehensively explain the five working principles. According to the above ideas, the Plan further clarifies the five basic principles for the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park. First, cultural guidance and highlighting characteristics. Deeply excavate the cultural spiritual connotation of the Grand Canal and the essence of the construction and protection of the national cultural park, and comprehensively explain the culture of the Grand Canal.Contemporary value. The second is to give priority to protection and strengthen inheritance. Persist in jointly grasping large-scale protection rather than large-scale development, strictly implement the policy of putting protection first, rescue first, rational utilization, and strengthening management, and promote the protection of authenticity and integrity. The third is overall planning and categorical guidance. Highlight the top-level design, highlight local characteristics, pay attention to cross-regional and cross-departmental coordination, form a joint force of linkage and overall promotion, promote categorical policies, step-by-step implementation, and strictly prevent large-scale demolition and construction, and be the same. Fourth, clarify rights and responsibilities and sustainable development. Effectively build a work pattern of overall planning by the central government, overall responsibility by the province, hierarchical management, and segmented responsibility, expand investment and financing channels, improve diversified investment mechanisms, and ensure the sustainable development of park construction, management and operation. Fifth, we should be active and prudent, reform and innovation. Actively explore new ways for the protection, inheritance and utilization of cultural relics and cultural resources in the new era, base ourselves on the present and focus on the long term, do our best and do what we can, and avoid overexploitation and greed for perfection.
(3) Clarify development goals in stages. Focusing on the overall positioning of “the Grand Canal National Cultural Park has become an important symbol for disseminating Chinese excellent culture to the world”, the Plan puts forward three stages of construction and protection goals: First, by the end of 2021, the construction and management mechanism of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park will be fully established, key tasks, major projects and important projects will be successfully launched, and the construction tasks of the key construction area of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park in Jiangsu Province will be basically completed. Second, by the end of 2023, the coordinated promotion of the protection, inheritance and utilization of cultural relics and cultural resources along the Grand Canal will initially take shape, the management model with clear rights and responsibilities, efficient operation and standardized supervision will begin to take shape, a number of major landmark projects will be basically completed, and the construction and protection tasks of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park will be basically completed. Third, by 2025, the construction and management mechanism of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park will be fully established, the management mode with clear rights and responsibilities, efficient operation and standardized supervision will be basically completed, key tasks, major projects and important projects will be effectively implemented, the protection of various cultural heritage resources will be fully covered, culture and tourism will be deeply integrated with related industries, landmark projects will achieve obvious benefits, and the unified brand of “Millennium Canal” will be basically formed.
Q: What are the key tasks deployed in the Plan?
A: In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and instructions on protecting, inheriting and utilizing the Grand Canal, better promote the protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal culture, and accelerate the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park, the Plan clarifies six key tasks and five types of key projects based on the new situation and new tasks and new requirements.
(1) Strive to promote the implementation of the six key tasks. The first is to optimize the overall functional layout. According to the idea of “river as line, city as bead, bead string, line with surface”, around the eight provinces (cities) along the Grand Canal, optimize the formation of a main axis to highlight cultural guidance, four types of zoning to build spatial forms, and six highlands to highlight the characteristic heritage.The overall functional layout of the Canal National Cultural Park. The second is to explain the connotation of cultural values. Strive to build the Grand Canal into a cultural imprint that highlights the history of thousands of years, a cultural force that nourishes a better life, and the cultural essence that condenses the national spirit, and vigorously carries forward the spirit of the times such as national unity and unity, diligence, courage and self-improvement, openness, inclusiveness, and harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The third is to increase the intensity of control and protection. From the aspects of clarifying the requirements for control and protection, comprehensively strengthening protection measures, and significantly improving the level of protection, the main considerations for the construction of control and control protected areas are put forward, and the key control and protection objects are clarified. The fourth is to strengthen the theme display function. From the aspects of building a multi-dimensional display pattern, improving the comprehensive display system, and enriching the display experience methods, the relevant tasks of building the theme exhibition area are refined, and 34 core exhibition parks, 19 centralized exhibition belts and characteristic display points are clearly proposed. Fifth, promote the integration of culture and tourism. From the aspects of strengthening high-quality product development, improving the quality of cultural and tourism development, and deepening the integration of related industries, the specific measures for the construction of cultural and tourism integration zones are clarified, and special columns are used to put forward the key points of cultural and tourism integration platform construction. Sixth, improve the level of traditional utilization. From the aspects of preserving traditional cultural ecology, promoting the development of green industries, and standardizing production and business activities, build a strategic path to promote the development of traditional utilization areas.
(2) Comprehensively accelerate the implementation of the five major projects. The first is the project of protecting and inheriting. Focus on promoting the construction of a number of facilities for the protection and utilization of important sites and relics, a number of Grand Canal series of themed museums and special thematic cultural museum venues, a number of characteristic ancient towns and villages, and a number of red commemorative facilities, and promote the protection, inheritance and utilization of national intangible cultural heritage. The second is research and excavation projects. Focus on building a high-level research platform for the Grand Canal, and publish a number of representative publications and key literary and artistic works that show the cultural value and spiritual connotation of the Grand Canal. The third is environmental supporting projects. Focus on promoting the construction of a number of cultural and ecological parks with cultural and ecological elements as the core, create composite corridors integrating transportation, culture, experience and recreation, create riverside ecological barriers, and comprehensively implement water environment monitoring and governance. Fourth, the integration project of culture and tourism. Strive to cultivate the “Millennium Canal” cultural tourism brand with international influence, build a provincial and inter-provincial Grand Canal cultural tourism boutique route, and hold special theme activities of the Grand Canal. Fifth, digital reproduction engineering. Focus on improving the digital infrastructure of the theme exhibition area of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park, and build the official website, digital cloud platform, and data management platform of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park.
Q: What are the next steps for the implementation of the Plan?
A: In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will continue to work with relevant departments and eight provinces (cities) along the Grand Canal to jointly promote the implementation of the Plan, establish and improve institutional mechanisms, strive to improve safeguard measures, and orderly promote the implementation of key tasks and key projects, so as to protect and inherit the use of the Grand Canal culture and national culture.Make positive contributions to the construction of the park.
(1) Establish and complete institutional mechanisms. First, improve the management system. Further improve the management system of overall planning by the central government, overall responsibility by the province, hierarchical management, and segmented responsibility, give play to the role of the mechanism of the inter-ministerial joint conference on the protection and inheritance of the Grand Canal culture, strengthen the top-level design of the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park, and coordinate the promotion of major difficulties, major problems, key tasks and key projects of the Grand Canal. The second is to improve the operation mechanism. Encourage exploration and innovation in the operation system and mechanism guarantee of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park, promote the operation and development of the national cultural park in innovation, and guide the four main functional areas of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park to match differentiated operation mechanisms according to functional types. Establish and complete long-term mechanisms for government departments, cultural and museum institutions, cultural tourism enterprises, social organizations, and the public to participate in protection and development, encouraging and guiding social capital to participate in construction and operation through such means as establishing entities, funding projects, providing services, and donating materials. The third is to deepen the exchange mechanism. With the high-level research, protection and development of the Grand Canal as the carrier, actively promote international cultural exchanges and cooperation, strengthen cooperation between Chinese and foreign think tanks, and increase exchanges and cooperation with other countries in the construction of cultural parks. Strengthen cooperation with UNESCO in the protection of world cultural heritage, strengthen exchanges with other major canal-related management institutions and platforms in the world, make full use of digital technology and new media innovative expressions, and establish an international communication platform for the Grand Canal.
(2) Strengthen safeguards for the implementation of plans. First, strengthen organizational leadership. Party committees and governments at all levels earnestly perform their main responsibilities and conscientiously do a good job in organizing and implementing major tasks, major projects and major measures. The second is to strengthen planning and guidance. All localities and departments should follow the requirements of the established goals and requirements to carry out detailed decomposition of key work, clarify the timetable, road map, and task book, and formulate and issue provincial construction protection plans, relevant special plans, or implementation plans. The third is to improve policy measures. The central finance department makes overall use of existing funding channels to support the construction of major tasks and key projects of the Grand Canal, all relevant departments study and formulate specific and feasible support policies and measures according to their functions and division of labor, and local finances at all levels comprehensively use relevant funding channels to improve support and guarantee policies. Fourth, strengthen publicity and promotion. Establish a unified publicity and promotion platform for all kinds of cultural heritage of the Grand Canal, guide all sectors of society to raise awareness of the protection of cultural relics and cultural resources, and actively participate in the construction and protection of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park. Fifth, strengthen assessment and supervision. Party committees and governments at all levels in all localities should incorporate the construction and protection of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park into the comprehensive assessment and evaluation system, and strengthen the follow-up monitoring and phased evaluation of the implementation of the Plan.