Historic canal zone offers tourist delights

Gongchen Bridge historic zone is expected to become an important window on Hangzhou as the city prepares to host the G20 Summit.

Located in the north of Hangzhou's Gongshu district, the bridge crosses China's Grand Canal, the longest and oldest artificial waterway in the world.

To its west is Qiaoxi, an area whose name literally translates to "west of the bridge".

The area is well-known for its historical architecture, traditional medicine stores, tea houses, temples and restaurants.

Having witnessed much of the canal's nearly 2,000-year-long history, Qiaoxi attracts a large number of tourists each year.

"In the past, Qiaoxi was worn-out. Nowadays, it has a bright new look," said local folk artist Wu Liren.

"Tourists can enjoy a taste of Hangzhou at stands selling rice wine on the Gongchen Bridge, or listen to xiaorehun, a form of folk art that features comic monologue and ballad singing, at a teahouse."

They can also go to Fanghuichuntang, one of the oldest traditional Chinese hospitals, to learn more about traditional Chinese medicine or go to Tangxi old town to appreciate fine examples of the Hangzhou architecture, he said.

Several old factories by the banks of the canal in Qiaoxi have been converted into museums, to better preserve the area's industrial heritage.

The China Knives, Scissors and Swords Museum and China Umbrella Museum both used to be warehouses, while the China Fan Museum has been built inside an old cotton and textile factory.

Lu Lanhua, 90, has lived in Qiaoxi since childhood and remembers the way it used to look.

"The street was a bit narrower than it is now. The middle was made from pieces of quartzite with cobblestones on each side," she said.

"Men pulling rickshaws ran up the middle of the road and the porters walked on the sides."

Lu grew up in a 52-square-meter two-story house in an eight-member family.

"It was cold in winter and in summer it was so hot that everyone slept outside," she said.

Thankfully, such experiences are now a distant memory, as the local government completed its restoration of the Qiaoxi Historic Block in 2008, providing homes for 300 families.

Construction of the 1,794-km-long Grand Canal began in 486 BC and was completed in 1293. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014.

In recent years, Hangzhou, at the southernmost point of the canal, has developed a number of classic tourist routes based on the waterway, which allow visitors to appreciate the area's natural landscape, visit historical sites and experience local customs and practices.

Years ago, the local government started a campaign to promote the protection and development of Hangzhou's rich natural and cultural resources along the 39-km section of the Grand Canal that runs through four of the city's districts.

At the same time, efforts were made to repair historic buildings and improve the canal's water quality.

Now, tourists can float down the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal and enjoy many sights along its banks.

Contact the writers at shixf@chinadaily.com.cn

A craftsman makes silk umbrellas at an exhibition center in Qiaoxi scenic area in Hangzhou. Shi Xiaofeng / China Daily

(China Daily 06/27/2016 page7)