Changzhou, a state of three Wu Jin belts, is a meeting of hundreds of boats and cars. The Grand Canal passes through Changzhou, and the boat from south to north for thousands of years has given birth to a magnificent canal culture. A grand canal, smart Changzhou, also accumulated Changzhou.
Born by the river, prospered by the river.
Changzhou, the only ancient city where the Grand Canal passes, is an important part of the Jiangnan Canal and the only section of the Jiangnan Canal connecting the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake.
It is 45.8 kilometers long, and the world heritage section starts from Lianjiang Bridge in the west to Dongfang Bridge in the east, with a total length of 23.4 kilometers.
According to historical records, Changzhou has become an important post station for water transportation since Sui Dynasty, and the canal moved southward three times from the Yuan Dynasty to the new century, forming a "three rivers and four cities" style of "building a city by the river, the river moving with the city and the river matching the city".
Run through ancient and modern times
The Grand Canal witnessed the Millennium context.
Culture is like water
Give a region
With the beauty of agility and gentleness
As the mother river of Changzhou, the Grand Canal has been bred for thousands of years.Red culture, celebrity culture, business cultureEqual context connotation.
In recent years, Changzhou, based on resource endowment and good foundation, has highlighted cultural characteristics and ecological advantages, fully tapped the connotation, highlights and characteristics of the Grand Canal culture, strengthened inheritance and innovation, and made the flowing Millennium context of the Canal more vibrant and energetic.
Hometown of Three Masters of Red Culture
Changzhou, on the banks of the Yunan River in southern Jiangsu, is engraved with countless red marks, and many representatives of red culture have emerged, such as the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s early important leaders: "Changzhou Sanjie" Qu Qiubai, Zhang Tailei and Hui Daiying; Democratic patriots represented by Shi Liang and Li Gongpu; Dong Yixiang, Feng Zhongyun, Wang Chen, Yun Yiqun and many other revolutionary martyrs.
Changzhou attaches great importance to the red cultural resources, strives to build the red brand of "Changzhou Sanjie", and highlights the revolutionary spirit of "Changzhou Sanjie" as the urban spirit.
Today, Changzhou Sanjie Memorial Hall receives more than one million tourists every year, and red tourism has become a brand-new landscape in Changzhou.
Celebrity culture stars list
Under the Millennium nourishment of the Grand Canal, Tang Jingchuan, Tang Yifen, Sheng Xuanhuai, Li Boyuan, Liu Guojun, Zhao Yuanren, Zhou Youguang … … These flashing names have reflected the starry sky of history.
There are more than 160 items of hydraulic heritage, settlement heritage and intangible cultural heritage along the Grand Canal in Changzhou, forming a street culture represented by Qingguo Lane and a famous otaku culture represented by Eight Houses of Tang Family.
Butterfly change of industrial and commercial cultural creativity
Since modern times, Changzhou Grand Canal has become the cradle of national industry and commerce, and a number of outstanding national industrial enterprises have risen on both sides of the canal.
Times have changed, and the factory building that has experienced vicissitudes at the beginning has turned into the "creative online celebrity land" that young artists love to punch cards. Hengyuanchang Factory, Daming Yarn Factory and Qiji Machine Factory have been rated as national industrial heritage for three consecutive years. In the old factory building, people can not only touch the history of Changzhou’s modern industry, but also feel the beating pulse of modern cultural creativity.
Mottled old walls, large-scale serrated factory buildings, towering chimneys … … Walking into the creative block No.5 of Changzhou Canal, industrial and cultural relics can be seen everywhere. Relying on the "Canal No.5 Creative Block" established in the former site of Hengyuanchang Factory, the "old factory along the ancient canal" will be built into a "new cultural dock in Changzhou" and the first national-level "cross-strait cultural and creative industry cooperation experimental demonstration base" in Changzhou.
In addition, the activation and utilization of a number of industrial remains, such as Guoguang Factory, Mining Machinery Factory, Hangyi Factory and Fuyuan Rice Factory, have begun to take shape and are ready to go.
Activation of industrial remains
reach out to each other
"Blessing" New Vitality in Fireworks
For thousands of years, the Grand Canal has guarded the beautiful life of Changzhou people. It is the source of irrigation, and it has the advantages of boating, flood control and drainage, and it can also wash rice … … Part of the historical mission has faded. Today, the Grand Canal still thrives with Changzhou people.
In the past, the river benefited people, but now people protect the river.
Changzhou combines the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt with the central work of the whole city, such as the construction of the old city box and global tourism, so that the Grand Canal can draw vitality and remain "alive" in the popularity and fireworks.
Revival of the old city and new vitality of the canal
The Grand Canal runs through the old town, and its tributaries connect the main streets and lanes of the old town. In July 2020, Changzhou blew the horn of the revival and development of the old city. The transformation of the old city box, with Qingguo Lane, Nanshi River, front and rear north banks, Biji Lane, Tianning Temple, Hongmei Park and Dongpo Park along the Grand Canal as the points, will create a core gathering area of urban modern service industry.
In Qingguoxi City, the show of the ancient canal boat and the performance of the tin opera of the cruise ship appeared, which brought a lively and elegant "national tide wind" to the canal and attracted many citizens and tourists to punch in.
Nowadays, "the first lane of celebrities in Jiangnan" — — Qingguoxiang historical and cultural block has become a new business card in Changzhou, which integrates celebrity exhibition hall, intangible experience, catering and accommodation, cultural and creative business, red tourism and other formats, and is full of lively fireworks and vitality.
Qing Guo Xi Shi
The integration of cultural tourism adds popularity to the canal.
In recent years, various activities around the theme of the Grand Canal have come and gone, and the protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal in Changzhou have been widely concerned and enthusiastically participated by the whole society.
The brand of mass activities that pioneered the publicity of canal heritage protection — — Since 2013, the activity of "Walking for the Universiade" has been held for 9 consecutive times, which has formed an influence throughout the country.
Hold the visual art exhibition of "Returning from Park Stopping", and reproduce the panoramic view of the park stopping with VR technology, and the characteristics of the canal that was born by the river and prospered by the river in Changzhou.
Hold the "Grand Canal" Cultural and Creative Festival, "Sculpting" the Grand Canal National Sculpture Art Exhibition, and "Painting" the Grand Canal Jiangsu Artists’ Creation Tour and Canal Theme Exhibition.
Combing the rich historical and cultural resources of Changzhou Canal, the research results of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt are formed. Published 8 sets of books related to the Grand Canal, reviewed and approved 95 special projects of Changzhou Grand Canal Cultural Belt Construction Research Institute.
The future is promising
A new era, a new chapter in painting
Coming from the depths of history, the Grand Canal is entering a new era.
In recent years, Changzhou has closely followed the three distinctive highlights of "red, celebrity, industry and commerce", based on the five-in-one scientific planning of "water state, form, ecology, culture state and format", and made every effort to promote the organic integration of world heritage and modern cities, return the river to the people and the scenery to the people, create good ecological effects, colorful spatial environment and unique cultural charm, and strive to build Changzhou section of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt into an ecological corridor with high value.
Adhere to culture as the soul., systematically tap the context of the Grand Canal and empower hardware projects. Focusing on the core contexts such as red culture, celebrity culture, business culture and market culture, fully tap the rich connotation and unique value of the Grand Canal culture, build a context system, and enhance the historical value and contemporary function of the Grand Canal cultural landscape;
"Qingguo Lane" photo by Song Zhiwei
Adhere to the priority of protectionStrictly protect the texture of the river banks and streets of the Grand Canal, highlight the comprehensive functions of heritage attributes and cultural landscapes, optimize the spatial pattern of protection, inheritance and utilization of cultural heritage, river water system and ecological environment, clarify the development bottom line constraints, and avoid over-exploitation and repeated construction;
Adhere to the project-drivenFocusing on the core projects such as the "Changzhou Sanjie" cultural upgrading project and the renovation and upgrading project of Sheng Xuanhuai’s former residence, focusing on protection, renovation and upgrading, we will open up the context, connect the dots, take the cultural theme as the brand concept, and take the representative cultural landmarks as the physical carrier to create urban cultural business cards and enhance the cultural identity of the Grand Canal.
The Grand Canal, which has been flowing for thousands of years, is a flowing culture, a living heritage and a history being written. Changzhou, a famous canal city, will consider the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt in the great mission of "striving to be an example, striving to be a model and walking in the forefront", further do a good job in "culture", "living", "overall planning" and "fine" articles, and fully promote this cause of inheriting history and benefiting future generations.
Source/Changzhou Publishing Pictures/parts from the network
