Nanyang Ancient Town

Nanyang Ancient Town is located in Nanyang Lake at the northernmost part of Weishan Lake, with the ancient Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal running through it. The ancient town is surrounded by water on all sides. The main island is 3,500 meters long and 500 meters wide, covering an area of 4.5 km2, with more than 80 small islands densely scattered in the water. The main island is surrounded by clear water and the Grand Canal runs through the center, presenting a unique northern water town landscape of “island in the water, river on the island, and town by the river”.

A nighttime tour of the ancient canal

The “Canal Memory” cultural district generally refers to the old city of Jining and the historical sites along the old canal, such as ancient streets and trees, covering an area of approximately 11 km2. By planning and implementing a batch of cultural and tourism projects which incorporate the imprint of Rencheng, historical memories and fashionable elements, a vivid scene has taken shape consisting of “one river, two banks, three streets and six alleys, four museums and five points”.

The busy Grand Canal

The Jining Ancient Canal, commonly known as the Jizhou River or the Grain Transport River, is a part of the Lu Canal. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal flows through Jining for about 230 km, connecting a chain of important tourist attractions such as Jining City, Nanyang Ancient Town, Weishan Island, Dushan Island, Nanwang Fenshui Dragon King Temple, and Zhongdu Buddhist Garden, making a cultural heritage corridor with abundant cultural connotations and rich tourism resources. Jining is a hub for regulating the south-north water transport artery of China. During the the Yuan (1217-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties, the highest canal transport administrative agency, i.e. the River Governor’s Office, was established here, making Jining the prestigious “Canal Capital”.

Weishan Lake National Wetland Park

Weishan Lake National Wetland Park is located in Weishan County, Jining City of Shandong Province, with a total area of 787.9 hectares, including 645.8 hectares of wetland. A large-scale comprehensive wetland park featuring the Weishan Lake wetland ecosystem, history and culture, it is designed mainly for wetland protection, science education, water purification, sightseeing, tourism and leisure vacation. In 2013, Weishan Lake National Wetland Park was ranked by CCTV among “China’s Top Ten Charming Wetlands”.

Birds and Lotus Boasting a scenery

Birds and Lotus Boasting a scenery that is both enchanting and mysterious, natural and free spirited, the Weishan Lake scenic area features mountains, islands, forests, water, fishing boats, reed marshes, and lotus ponds. Here you can admire intoxicating sunset and curly smoke waves from kitchen chimneys. All these harmoniously combine to form a beautiful scene of a large natural park that is seen nowhere else. Amongst the landscape, the lotus flower, known as the “Fairy of Flowers”, is the most dazzling. It is particularly favored by people for its graceful figure and pure character of “rising unsullied from mud” (honesty and integrity). The lotus leaves sprawl on the surface of the lake, covering tens of thousands of hectares in some areas, presenting a spectacular scene, hence the name “City of Lotus in China”.

Wonderland

Weishan Lake Wetland Park is a large and comprehensive national wetland park designed for wetland protection, ecological restoration, science education for the public and water purification. Here, nature and city are mixed perfectly, with over a hundred types of wetland plant communities. The largest meadow-type lake wetland in Asia and the only wetland where the lake and the river meet, the Wetland Park has the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, known as the Golden Waterway, running through it. It is also an important regulating reservoir and water transmission channel for China’s South to North Water Diversion East Line Project.

Sunset at the Canal (Autumn Scenery at the Canal)

The Grand Canal has significantly boosted Jining’s economy and brought a rich historical and cultural heritage to the city. The Confucian culture, Ancestral Culture, Canal Culture, Water Margin Culture, Buddhist Culture and Red Culture interplay with each other here, making Jining a famous cultural and tourist destination in China and abroad. The Confucius Mansion, Confucius Temple, and Confucius Forest in Qufu and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal have been listed as UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage; Liangshan Mountain is the place where the story of All Men Are Brothers took place and where the Liangshan heroes gathered; Baoxiang Temple in Wenshang and Xinglong Temple in Yanzhou are renowned in the Buddhist community both at home and abroad; and Wushi Ancestral Hall in Jiaxiang has been acclaimed as the “encyclopedia” for the study of Han Dynasty’s inscription culture.