One river connects the ancient and the modern, and one culture spreads for thousands of years. The Grand Canal (Zhejiang section) is a shipping hub in the south that has lasted for thousands of years. The Chinese character "Hang" of the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal refers Hangzhou, Zhejiang.  The Zhedong Grand Canal is an extension of the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal. Starting from Hangzhou, it passes through Shaoxing and Ningbo, and finally enters the sea at Sanjiangkou of Ningbo. The Zhedong Grand Canal is an important link of the land Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road. It is also a road for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. Today, the Grand Canal flowing through Zhejiang is full of new vitality based on its profound heritage. From riverside families to science and technology towns, from ancient bridges and ferries to art areas, the proposed Asian Games venues are rising along the river, and the industrial relics are revitalized. The canal bank area has presented a modern life of green ecology，vitality and openness.

Hangzhou city

Hangzhou is the capital city of Zhejiang province and its economic, cultural, science and educational center. Hangzhou is one of the central cities in the Yangtze River Delta. A popular City of Scenic Tourism, it also ranks among the first batch of National Historical and Cultural Towns. Located in the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta, western tip of the Hangzhou Bay, and the southern end of the Grand Canal (Beijing-Hangzhou), it is the crossing point of the extension of “Silk Road Economic Belt" and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road”，and a strategic hub along the “Online Silk Road". 

Gongchen Bridge is the longest and highest stone arch bridge among the ancient bridges in Hangzhou. The bridge is 98 meters long and 16 meters high. It is the symbol of the end point of the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal in Hangzhou.

Night view of Gongchen Bridge

Riverside houses

The Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal is the earliest and longest man-made canal in the world. With a total length of more than 1700 kilometers, it plays an important role in the economic and cultural development and exchanges between north and south China, especially in the industrial and agricultural development of the areas along the canal.

Canal Place

The Canal at dusk

Night view of the Canal

Jiaxing city

Located in the northeast of Zhejiang province, Jiaxing city is the center of Hang-Jia-Hu Plain in the Yangtze River Delta. It faces the sea in the east， leaning on the Qiantang River in the south，bearing on the Taihu Lake in the north, and connecting with the Tianmu Mountain in the west. The Grand Canal crosses the region. The whole area and Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Zhoushan face each other across the Hangzhou Bay，and the network of highway， railway and waterway radiates in every direction.

The Three Pagodas is an important "navigation mark" of the Grand Canal, is also one of the main symbols of the ancient city of Jiaxing, and has witnessed the thousands of years of the Grand Canal.

The Charm of the Ancient 

Luofan Pavilion is a garden near the ancient Shanqing Water Gate. It is named after the scene of ships lowering their sails and passing through the water gate.

Changhong Bridge on the Grand Canal