The Grand Canal of China——A splendid Heritage

Architecture School, Southeast University, Nanjing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Urban and Architectural Heritage Conservation

(Southeast University), Ministry of Education, China

Speaker: Xingming Zhong

WCC Rochester, NY, Sep 23, 2010

Contents The History of the Grand Canal of China

The characteristics of the Grand Canal

The analysis on values of the Grand Canal

The suggestions on the Conservation of the Grand Canal

1.The History of the GrandCanal of China

1.1 The Spring and Autumn Period

The Grand Canal was first built in 486 B.C. in Spring and Autumn Period for the military utilization, which was called “Hangou” in Yangzhou connecting the Yangtze River and Huai River. And it is the oldest section of the later Grand Canal. In this phase, the Canal mostly used the natural lakes, including Wuguang Lake, Luyang Lake, Fanliang Lake, Bozhi Lake and Sheyang Lake.

Yangtze River

1.2 The Sui and Tang Dynasties

The canal comprised four sections:Yongji canal, Hangou canal, Tongji canal and Jiangnan canal. They were dug in Sui Dynasty and perfected, dredged up in Tang Dynasty.

1.3Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties

A summit section was dug across the foothills of the Shandong massif during the 1280s, shortening the overall length by as much as 700 km

In Ming Dynasty, The Grand Canal was repaired on the basis of the Canal in Yuan Dynasty. The Grand Canal was separated from the lakes by building levees. And the management system of the Grand Canal was perfect and effective

In Qing Dynasty(1636~1911) , the Grand Canal continued to function. But after 1826, the Yellow River’s sand gradually silted the canal. In 1855, the Yellow River flooded in Tongwaxiang, Henan Province and the Grand Canal between Anshan and Linqing was broken. In 1905, the transportation stopped.

1.4 After 1958

During 1950s-1970s, the government employed labors to dredge the old canals and dig new canals and also build some large locks. Therefore

the Grand Canal from Hangzhou to Jining began to shipping again

2. The characteristics of the Grand Canal

2.1 The span of time and space is large

The Grand Canal has a history of near 2500 years, which was first dug in 489 B.C. in Spring and Autumn Period.

The Grand Canal is 1794km, across 33 cities from Hangzhou to Beijing. It connects five rivers: Qiantang River, Yangtze River, Huai River, Yellow River and Haihe River. It’s the longest canal in the world, which is 11 times as long as Suez Canal, and 22 times as long as Panama Canal.

1794

16382

0 500 1000 1500 2000

Grand Canal

Suez Canal

Panama Canal

2.2 It is dynamic the Grand Canal is still used for transportation now which

is the basic and original function the Grand Canal has been changing. “The canal is more than a long corridor of great cultural

heritage. It has been a golden waterway for dynamic cultural and social progress for neighboring regions over centuries.”

2.3 It is comprehensive

The Grand Canal is a heritage blended by cultural and natural factors;

It is an dynamic cultural heritage combined by static and dynamic factors;

It is a cultural heritage corridor consisting of points, lines and surfaces;

It is a cultural heritage combined by ancient sites, modern historical sites and contemporary legacies;

It displays the industrial heritage and folk buildings reflecting the production and life of common people;

It includes the cultural space composing of tangible and intangible things

3. The analysis on valuesof the Grand Canal

3.1 The technological values

The Grand Canal is “a great civil engineering represents the Chinese civilization and technology” ——Joseph Needham

the Grand Canal and Canal du Midi of France were listed as the “Technologically significant canals” both with 11 scores which is the highest and the next is Rideau Canal of Canada.(TICCIH, 1995)

（1）The first recorded double –gate or pound lock in the world was built at the northern end of the Shan-yang Yun-tao section between the Yangtze and Huai-yin in AD 984 by Chhiao Wei-Yo.

（2）In Ming Dynasty, the Grand Canal between Yangzhou and Huaian was separated from the lakes by building stone levees. So the boat can travel in the canal safely without the risk of the storms of the lakes.

The relics of the Grand Canal in Ming Dynasty

Gaoyou Lake

(3)There were many different kind of water conservancy and civil engineering to keep the water level and overcome the 50 meter elevation.

Nanwang, the highest point of the Grand Canal

The section of the Grand Canal

Nanwang water conservancy to allot the water, 30% flow to the south and 70% to the north

Echeng lock

Yangjiawu entrance

Daijiawan lock

Ziying lock

Daicun Dam

3.2 The economic values(1) Water transport

Every year, thousands of kinds of different goods were transported to the north through the Grand Canal. It mainly transported rice. The rice was stored in warehouses in Beijing and Tongzhou to supply the captical.

Boat tracker

Stones for fastening cordelle

The boat was crossing the dam

Nanxin Warehouse is located in Beijing, which were built in Ming Dynasty and used through Qing Dynasty.

(2)Facilitating the development of the cities along the Grand Canal

Suzhou City in Qing Dynasty

3.3 The cultural values(1) Enhancing the mutual communication between different cultures(2) As the main route of the emperors traveling to the South in Qing

Dynasty

The mosque in JiningThe opera

3.4 The ecological and landscape valuesGaoyou Lake The Canal in HebeiGaomin Temple

4. The suggestionson the Conservation of the Grand

Canal

4.1 Investigating the heritage of the Grand Canal

4.2 Establishing management agency for coordinating

4.3Planning a good interpretation system

4.4 Increasing Public Participation

5. Conclusions

• The Grand Canal has a long history and spans a wide space. It is a dynamic and comprehensive heritage with different types of heritage including natural and cultural, tangible and intangible, ancient and modern.

• The Grand Canal is a outstanding heritage which has a technological significance in the history of the world canal, important economic values and brilliant cultural values.

Thank you for your attention!

The Grand Canal of China - a splendid heritage Xingming Zhong, Doctoral Candidate, Southeast University Nanjing, CHINA zhongxingming1980@gmail.com I generally introduce the Grand Canal of China in order to present you a brief impression. The Grand Canal is not only an outstanding water conservancy project in the Chinese history but also one of the most splendid water conservancies in the world that has extraordinary general vale. It is called an ancient project as great as the Great Wall. The Canal is about 1794 km from Hangzhou to Beijing. Although the Grand Canal has different characteristics in different sections and cities. Generally speaking , however , the nature and characteristics of the Grand Canal are mainly reflected in the following aspects: (1) The time and space span is long. (2) The relevant heritage types are rich. (3) It is a dynamic heritage which has been using from the past to the present. (4) It is a cultural heritage corridors consisting of points, lines and surfaces combined by ancient sites, modern historical sites and contemporary legacies.