Tracing stories along the Grand Canal

The 2025 Grand Canal Cultural Reading Tour, an event celebrating the culture of the Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, concluded in Beijing on Monday. This event followed months of activities held across eight provinces and municipalities since June.

Organized by the Capital Library of China in Beijing, Zhejiang Library, Shaoxing city's bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism in Zhejiang province among others, the event held activities across eight provinces and municipalities to bring people closer to the history and culture of the Grand Canal, retracing the iconic waterway as depicted in China's classical texts.

During the final Beijing stop, various activities were held, including a lecture by Li Xiaocong, a history and geography professor at Peking University, who spoke on the canal's history and cultural significance.

Using ancient maps and historical documents, he vividly illustrated how the canal has endured for thousands of years, linking cities and the countryside, and serving as a lifeline for national unity, economic prosperity, and cultural integration.

"The canal is not just a waterway; it is a flowing epic inscribed on the land of China," Li says.

A cultural salon highlighting the relationship between the Grand Canal and the ancient Chinese classic A Dream of Red Mansions was also held.

The tour set sail from Shaoxing in June, traveling north along the canal's route through cities rich in heritage, ultimately reaching Beijing — the millennia-old capital nurtured by the canal. Each city hosted diverse activities such as cultural seminars, canal markets, city tours, and short video competitions.