Page 9 - JIANGSU

The Rivers, Lakes and Seas of Jiangsu 4

generations of people and bringing hope and a better life to people
living along the canal.

On both sides of the canal, a number of historic and cultural cities
and ancient towns and blocks were born because of "transport,"
bringing with prosperity. Different from the regional civilization nour-
ished by the natural river, the culture spawned by the Grand Canal
originates from exchanges, collisions, integration and development,
presenting a dynamic cultural outlook featuring diverse factors and
inclusive connotations.

The festivals, folk beliefs, dietary customs, recreational contests and
poetry and folk art along the canal have their own characteristics
due to regional differences, and are permeated and integrated due to
connectivity. The flowing canal influences the people along the river.
They broaden their vision and often do not stay in a corner, but move
around like a river, absorbing progress and finally coming back one
after another, bringing their experience and diverse culture back to
their hometown and taking root and blossoming. If the Grand Canal
flows through, the products will be rich and the population will be
prosperous. If the canal is prosperous, the country will be strong and
the culture will be prosperous.

Shantang historic district, In Jiangsu, ancient cities, docks, post stations, villages, sites and other
Suzhou. cultural heritages along the Grand Canal are scattered all over the
place. "Suzhou's Golden Age," the "Water Alley" under the Qingming
Bridge in Wuxi, and "Looking North at Guazhou" on the Xijindu
Ancient Street of Zhenjiang city are all outstanding masterpieces re-
a deep underground relic to an important landscape showing
lated to the canal. The water of the canal nurtures people of Jiangsu,
the Grand Canal culture and an important tourist destination in
creates a colorful and diverse cultural outlook, and lays out humanistic
Huai'an, with protection as a key requirement. The protection
background of beautiful homeland and wonderful life.
and repair of Dragon Temple Temporary Palace in Suqian city
"have not changed the original state of cultural relics," instead,
it fully respected the original building, and only added to explain
the relationship between the building and the canal, as well as
the relations with Emperor Qianlong's visit to the temporary
palaces in "Jiangnan," or the area south of the downstream
Yangtze River, which ignite people's imagination; The protective
renovation of Shaobo ancient town in Yangzhou highlights its
spatial connection with the Grand Canal and the connection
with people's daily life, which reminds people of the scene of
living along the canal in the past.

Like an umbilical cord of life, the Grand Canal has nourished
Xijindu, Zhenjiang.
and nurtured people on both sides of the canal, giving birth to