Recently, Hangzhou issued the Plan for the Protection, Inheritance and Utilization of the Grand Canal Culture in Hangzhou and the Construction of National Cultural Park (hereinafter referred to as the Construction Plan). How can the Grand Canal culture be preserved and inherited? How to build the Grand Canal National Cultural Park? Let’s get to know!
Construction scope and duration
The Grand Canal National Cultural Park covers seven urban areas along the Grand Canal, including Shangcheng District, Gongshu District, West Lake District, Binjiang District, Xiaoshan District, Yuhang District and Linping District.
The construction period is 2022-2025, of which the end of 2023 is the basic completion stage; By the end of 2025, it will be a stage of optimized development. Within the scope of the Grand Canal Cultural Park, the protection of various cultural heritage resources will be fully covered, and a hierarchical and classified display system will be basically formed.
1】 Clarify functional zoning and build Hangzhou Grand Canal National Cultural Park entity
According to the overall layout and endowment differences of cultural relics and cultural resources, the surrounding residential environment, natural conditions, supporting facilities and other conditions, and in combination with the land space planning, the National Cultural Park will focus on the construction of four types of functional areas, namely, management and control protection, theme display, cultural and tourism integration, and traditional utilization. It will clearly identify the key points of differentiation construction and protection, and build the Hangzhou Grand Canal National Cultural Park entity.
Let’s first learn about the theme exhibition area and cultural tourism integration area.
A Theme exhibition area
It is composed of a series of public cultural spaces with distinctive themes, clear connotation, clear boundaries and perfect functions, including three forms: core exhibition park, centralized exhibition belt and characteristic exhibition points.
Tangqi River South Canal Famous Town Core Exhibition Park
Focusing on Tangqi Ancient Town, Chaoshan Scenic Area, Dingshan Lake Wetland, Sanbaitan Wetland and other blocks, we will promote the construction of the second channel of the Canal and the third channel of the Beijing Hangzhou Canal (Hangzhou section), strengthen the environmental improvement of the canal basin, strengthen the comprehensive improvement of the environment along Tangqi section, Renhe section, Liangzhu section and Chongxian section, and create a continuous waterfront greening, cultural leisure and public activity space.
Core Exhibition Garden of Gongchen Bridge Canal Cultural Community
Photographed by Zhong Liming
Xiaohe Park
Focusing on Gongchen Bridge, Xiaohe Park, Qiaoxi Historic and Cultural Block, Fuyicang, “Canal · Hundred Counties and Thousand Bowls” Cultural Tourism Food Town, Dadou Road Historic Block, Xiaohezhi Street, Shangtang River Sports and Leisure Town and other blocks, we will optimize and improve the protection and utilization of cultural heritage resources, and create a boutique area for cultural tourism of the Grand Canal.
Shangtang Ancient Charm Tracking Core Exhibition Garden
Focusing on the improvement and construction of Guifang Bridge, Anpingquan, Gaoting Mountain, Linping Mountain, and Linping Lake Wetland, we will explore the cultures along the Southern Song Canal, such as Banjing Pavilion, and jointly display the millennium ancient culture of Shangtang River.
Yuhang Tangshui Township Granary Core Exhibition Park
Focusing on the improvement and construction of Cangqian Ancient Town, Yuhang Tanghe River, Shuixiang polder, and Zhang Taiyan’s former residence, we will explore the Grand Canal’s water transportation and storage culture and show the canal’s rural landscape.
Wulin Canal Prosperity Business Travel Core Exhibition Park
Focusing on the West Lake Cultural Plaza, Wulin Business District, Yan’an Road Commercial Street, Wulin Road Commercial Block, China Silk City Characteristic Block and other blocks, we will optimize the business format, develop new retail and fashion consumption, and create an international consumption and tourism highland that reflects the prosperity of the Grand Canal City.
Southern Song Dynasty Lin’an City Cultural Core Exhibition Park
Focusing on Zhonghe Longshan River, Southern Song Dynasty City Wall Exhibition Hall, Taimiao, Liubu Bridge and other blocks, build key platforms such as Southern Song Dynasty Imperial City Town, Yuhuangshan Southern Fund Town, and highlight the new charm of Song Dynasty culture.
Jianghehui Modern Canal Core Exhibition Park
Focusing on Qianjiang New City (city balcony tide watching, night tour of Qiantang River), Hangzhou Financial City, Sanbao Ship Lock, Hangzhou Haitang and other blocks, we will focus on the development of finance, urban tourism and other industries, and highlight the cultural image of the Grand Canal (Hangzhou section) that is open, inclusive and competitive.
Zhejiang Shilu Start Core Exhibition Park
Focusing on Xixing Ancient Town, Xianghu Lake, Yiqiao, Baima Lake and other blocks, focusing on digital economy, cultural creativity, tourism and leisure, we will build the road of Tang poetry in eastern Zhejiang, promote the construction of new cultural platforms such as Baima Lake Ecological Creative City, Riverside Internet Town, and Internet of Things Town, and empower the cultural inheritance and innovation of the Grand Canal.
Zhedong Canal Revival Core Exhibition Park
Focusing on the Chengxiang, Xintang, Yaqian and other areas of the East Zhejiang Canal (Xiaoshan section), we will focus on the rescue and protection of ancient bridges, temples, towns, streets, villages, ancient fiber paths and other relics, promote the comprehensive management of the canal environment, plan the development of the regions on both sides of the canal as a whole, excavate and carry forward the red culture and other distinctive cultures of Yaqian, and reproduce the historical prosperity of the East Zhejiang Canal.
Core Exhibition Park of Grand Canal World Cultural Heritage Park
Grand Canal Waterfront Public Space
Central Landscape Avenue in the north of the city
The demonstration area of the Grand Canal (Hangzhou section) will be built around such landmark cultural facilities as the China Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum, the Grand Canal Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, the Grand Canal waterfront public space, the Central Landscape Avenue in the north of the city, the Grand Canal Future Art and Technology Center, the Grand Canal Ecological Art Island, the Canal Sports Park, the Canal Fashion Publishing Center, the Grand Canal Hangzhou Steel Industrial Site Comprehensive Protection Project, the Wulin Art Museum, Xintiandi Cultural District, etc.
Centralized display tape
Tangqi Section, Gongchen Bridge Section, Wulin Section, North Dacheng Section, Shangtang River Section, Zhonghe Longshan River Section, Xixing Canal Section, etc.
Featured display points
The main ecological scenic spots and tourist attractions in the ten core exhibition parks.
B】 Cultural and tourism integration area
The cultural tourism integration area is composed of the theme exhibition area and its surrounding historical culture, natural ecology and modern cultural tourism high-quality resources. It focuses on the use of cultural relics and cultural resources spillover radiation effect to build a demonstration area for the in-depth integration of cultural tourism development. With the Grand Canal culture as the core and the upstream water line, the upstream shore line, the theme tour line, etc. as the carrier, the scenic spots along the canal are connected to create a number of classic cultural tourism routes along the canal.
Upstream route: Qiantang River Canal Tour, Canal Night Tour, Canal Xixi, Canal Liangzhu, Wulinmen Tangxi, Qiantang River Night Tour, Shangtang River Night Tour, etc.
Theme tour routes: build classic cultural and tourism routes such as Xianghu – Sanjiang confluence area, Wulinmen Wharf – Tangqi – Dingshan Lake – Chaoshan, Gongchen Bridge – Shangtang River – Banshan – Gaoting Mountain, Jianghe River – Imperial Town of Southern Song Dynasty.
Upstream and Shore Line: To build a tourist attraction line along the canal, which is experienced by cultural performance, intangible cultural heritage display, folk custom performance and other local characteristic activities.
Inter provincial inland river cruise lines: build Hangzhou Suzhou, Hangzhou Wuxi and other inland river cruise lines.
2】 Focus on building ten landmark projects
Hangzhou will focus on building ten landmark projects, including the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum, the Grand Canal Future Art and Technology Center, the Grand Canal Hangzhou Steel Industrial Site Comprehensive Protection Project, the Canal Digital Twin Platform, the Grand Canal Asian Games Park, the Grand Canal Waterfront Public Space, the Canal Historical Ten Blocks, the Small River Park, the Central Landscape Avenue in the north of the Grand City, and the Second Passage of the Beijing Hangzhou Canal.
The construction of the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum Project has started in December 2020, and is planned to be completed and put into trial operation by the end of 2024.
The total length of the Grand Canal waterfront public space is about 23 kilometers, with a total investment of about 1.9 billion yuan. The project takes the Grand Canal and its tributaries as the carrier. After completion, it can meet the needs of citizens and tourists for sightseeing, leisure, experience, running, riding, etc. Other landmark projects are also under orderly construction.