The Grand Canal is the oldest and longest man-made waterway in the world with a history of more than 2,500 years, construction started in the Spring and Autumn Period. The 1794 kilometers' waterway is 22 times length of the Panama Canal. It is a golden waterway second only to the Yangtze River in China. The Grand Canal runs from Zhejiang to Beijing (pass) through six provinces and two municipalities and connects five main river systems.
The canal( function) as the backbone of the ancient empire's inland communication and trading systems. Grain, salt,(log) and silk were transported along the canal to all directions. Scores of towns along the banks developed, contributing (large) to ancient China's economy. The canal enormously promoted economic interaction and cultural exchange between the north south, which ensured the country's (stable).
In 2014, it was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. In 2019 China issued a plan (construct) national cultural parks for the Grand Canal. During the last 2 years, building the Grand Canal national cultural parks (recognize) as a key task in the 14th Five-Year Plan. In future, cities along the Grand Canal will form a new cultural belt, green belt and tourism belt.
