Meet Huai'an, the Grand Canal's Caoyun capital

"The following archeological excavation of the site in 2011 revealed that the Caoyun Governor not only oversaw the Caoyun affairs of seven provinces but also had the power to deploy troops," said Zhang Chi, curator of the China Caoyun Museum, which opened in 2011.

On display at the museum, there includes ancient water transport tools, letters of Caoyun officials, various tribute grain gauges and relics recovered from shipwrecks unearthed in the city, presenting the history and culture associated with the Caoyun system as well as Huai'an's illustrious past as a transportation hub along the Grand Canal.

For example, one of the highlights at the museum is a pile of more than 10,000 broken ceramic pieces, which is from an accumulation of Longquan celadon shards unearthed from the city's Hexia Ancient Town in 2008.

The exquisite celadon porcelain produced by kilns in Longquan, Zhejiang province was mainly used as royal tribute in ancient China.