The sun slips beneath the horizon, its fiery red glow fading
into a soft pink haze. On both sides of a waterway, ancient houses
and modern buildings stand side by side, their dark contours bathed
in shadow.
The Gongchen Bridge arches overhead while the water beneath
flows serenely along its course. Sunset on the Grand Canal.
After more than 700 years as a lifeline to the Chinese people,
transporting grain from the Yangtze River Delta to the north and
the soldiers defending its territory, twilight seems to be
descending on the Grand Canal's role as an integrator of a proud
nation's history and culture.
What the Great Wall represents as an architectural fortress of
China, the Grand Canal represents as a means of transport.
Only recently has business gradually abated. And now some
Chinese scholars are calling for the 1,800-kilometer canal to be
honored as a national heritage site under government protection,
just like the Great Wall.
At least 16 cities lie along its banks, but it is Hangzhou,
capital of Zhejiang Province in the east, that has done
the most work to protect this man-made river.
History
The idea of a waterway to cut across the Chinese mainland
sprouted in the late Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), when Fu
Chai, duke of Wu (today's Suzhou), traveled north to conquer other
kingdoms. He ordered a canal to be constructed, called Han Gou, to
transport soldiers.
The canal was first cut near Yangzhou, Jiangsu, to guide the waters of the Yangtze
River to the north.
It was lengthened during the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618) and then
again during the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), to become the Grand
Canal. It eventually connected five river systems those of the
Haihe River (in Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province in the north), the Yellow
River, the Huaihe River (in Central China), the Qiantang River (in
Zhejiang Province in the east) and the Yangtze River.
During the Yuan, Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911)
dynasties, the Grand Canal served as the main artery between
northern and southern China and was essential for the transport of
grain to Beijing, said Yu Kongjian, director of Peking University's
Institute of Landscape Design.
"Although it was mainly used for shipping grain, the waterway
also transported other commodities," he said.
"The area around the Grand Canal eventually developed into an
important business belt."
Records show that every year more than 8,000 boats transported 4
to 6 million dan, a unit of weight used in ancient times, of grain
to Beijing.
The convenience of transport also enabled the rulers to lead
inspection tours to southern China. In the Qing Dynasty, Emperor
Kangxi and Qianlong made 12 trips to the south, on all occasions
but once reaching the south terminus in Hangzhou.
Many cities found fame because of the Grand Canal. As one of the
most important port cities at that time, Yangzhou enjoyed
unparalleled prosperity and fame. Many stories and legends are set
against it. The hero of "The Dream of the Red Chamber," Jia Baoyu,
became a monk in Yangzhou. Dushi Niang, a famous courtesan drowned
herself there.
The Grand Canal also bridged the cultural exchanges between the
north and south. "Many significant historical events, beliefs,
intellectual trends, important works of art, and folk traditions
have direct and concrete links with the waterway," Yu said.
The canal even made a distinct impression on some of China's
early European visitors. Marco Polo recounted the Grand Canal's
arched bridges as well as the warehouses and the prosperous trade
in the 13th century. The famous Roman Catholic missionary Matteo
Ricci traveled from Nanjing to Beijing on the canal at the end of
16th century.
But by the mid-19th century, the development of maritime
transport and the opening of the Tianjin-Pukou and Beijing-Hankou
railways reduced the canal's role greatly. Many of its sections
fell into disrepair, and some parts became choked with mud.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949,
the need for economic development led the authorities to order
heavy reconstruction work on the Grand Canal.
Restoration: past and present
Even so, it was not until the 1990s that work to restore the
canal to any sort of useable condition began, and the first issue
had to be addressed was pollution.
"We started to tackle the canal's water quality problem in
1993," said Zheng Hanxian, executive deputy director of the
Hangzhou Grand Canal Administration Group.
"Before the 1990s, the water smelled terrible, but after eight
years of hard work, we have managed to make the water very
clear."
One encouraging sign is that fish, which had long since
disappeared, can once again be found in the canal. Many local
people have started fishing on the canal's banks to pass the time
on weekends.
The landscape became the next focus. Starting in 2000, the
Hangzhou government took steps to improve the terrain around the
canal's edges.
"We have placed a great deal of importance on the protection of
the ancient structures, and on the reconstruction of the old Grand
Canal areas," Zheng said. "We are starting to put more emphasis on
comprehensive renovation.
"The banks were covered with old pieces of slate that we had
gathered from villages and households along the canal."
The slate will be used to cover 11 kilometers of single-lane
roads that run along the banks of the Grand Canal, and Zheng said
proudly: "We have finished 9 kilometers already."
The use of slate instead of cement for that stretch of road will
help revive some of the traditional atmosphere in this area. "This
is part of our efforts to return the landscape to its original
state," Zheng said.
Further efforts to revive the canal stalled, though, as
disagreements cropped up in Hangzhou over what should be done next.
Finally, on May 24, more than 40 experts and 200 members of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) reached
an agreement in the Hangzhou Announcement to both spell out the
measures to be carried out in protecting the Grand Canal and to
introduce a plan to have the canal listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
"As our society continues its economic development, the Grand
Canal's traditional role as a shipping lane and a mode of transport
has changed," the report said. "The riverbed and the people and
landscapes along the banks have undergone profound changes.
"At present, we are faced with difficult challenges posed by the
modernization of the urban areas, and the urbanization of the
countryside. We have already reached a critical juncture in both
the rescue and the protection of the Grand Canal and the promotion
of its sustainable development."
Other cities along the canal have also started to become
involved in the preservation. The famous Four Pagodas on the Grand
Canal are all still standing today. The Liuhe Pagoda in Hangzhou,
the Wenfeng Pagoda in Yangzhou, the Sheli Pagoda in Linqing and the
Randeng Pagoda in Tongzhou all used to serve either as beacon
towers at important ports or as places of worship.
Stone bridges more than hundreds of years old, ancient steles
and old building structures can still be found in many places along
the canal, as well.
Refreshing their memories
Although measures have been taken to give the canal and the
scenery along its banks a facelift, the bustle, excitement and
customs that defined the canal's golden years will never
return.
But Zhao Shiquan, a painter and retired official in Tianjin who
has lived by the Grand Canal since childhood, decided to recreate
history with his brush and has painted scenes from those prosperous
years for people to enjoy.
"The landscape of the Tianjin section of the Grand Canal is
unique," Zhao said. "It has grain stores, government houses, and
temples devoted to the gods of fire and earth. Barges and boats
used to stop here at the dock."
It was there that grain from the south was transferred from
boats to barges, which would then complete the journey to
Beijing.
The "Beicang Landscape," a 11.6- meter-long painting, took Zhao
two years to finish. To make sure that the historical details of
his painting were portrayed correctly, he said he spent an enormous
amount of time poring through a variety of historical books and
records.
"Many old buildings and structures were torn down at the
beginning of the 20th century," Zhao said. "I had to search through
photographs and written descriptions in order to make sure I had
not missed anything important."
But more work is to be done. Some sections of the Grand Canal
have already dried up. Many cultural artefacts located near the
canal have been abandoned or ignored.
The Grand Canal Museum, located near the Gongchen Bridge, is the
first museum totally devoted to the canal. It is scheduled to open
at the end of this month.
Zhao Shuhua, chairman of Gongshu District's CPPCC, said he hopes
the opening of the museum will provide people with more
opportunities to learn about the past, present and future of the
Grand Canal.
"I believe that if people are better informed about the Grand
Canal, they will do more to help us protect the waterway," he said.
"It is too much a part of cultural and historical heritage for us
to just let it slide into disrepair."
(China Daily June 10, 2006)
