Flowing treasure

The Jiangsu section is the oldest part of the Grand Canal. And it covers the largest area along the Grand Canal.

To better protect the Grand Canal cultural heritage, Jiangsu province is promoting the construction of a Grand Canal cultural belt.

Huai'an, an ancient city that has a history of more than 2,200 years, is the starting point of Liyunhe Canal Cultural Corridor, which attracts more than 1 million tourists every year.

The local government has spent a lot of money to protect the corridor.

"A total investment of 26 billion yuan ($3.97 billion) will be used to develop the cultural corridor," says Jiang Weilin, director of the Office of Liyunhe Canal Cultural Corridor.

"Six billion yuan has been spent to restore the scenery. And the corridor is designed as a place for international exchanges on canal cultures and a multifunctional cultural tourist resort."

The Grand Canal also passes through the city of Wuxi and forms a turtle-shaped space in the famous ancient city. The Grand Canal Wuxi section is only 40.8 km in length, but it used to be the lifeblood of its economy.