"The Great Wall symbolizes the firm backbone of China, while the Grand Canal is the bloodline flows through the hearts of Chinese people," said Shan Jixiang, former director of the Palace Museum.
(get) a better understanding of this "bloodline", Zhejiang Art Museum is running an exhibition called The Grand Canal as Epic on Earth.
With history of more than 2, 500 years, the Grand Canal consists of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Sui and Tang Grand Canal and the Zhedong Canal. It (stretch) nearly 3, 200 kilometers and is the world's longest man-made waterway.
(connect) the north and south of China, the Grand Canal extends trade and shapes culture. However, as some sections of the canal have dried up and been disused due to historical evolution and climate change, some people seem to forget its (culture) value.
China Daily reported that urbanization (城市化) has led to garbage and other waste being piled up on the waterway by residents, and others have even built illegal (structure) beside the canal.
(fortunate), many measures has been adopted so far toward restoration of the Grand Canal. For example, in Gucheng county of Hengshui city in Hebei, a new policy was carried out—a river chief system. A total of 70 river chiefs at county, town and village levels have been assigned to clean and restore 59 river lines, helping each section of the canal to reach its targets for reducing (pollute) and controlling flooding. The Grand Canal is taking a turn for we are hoping for.
