Six regions are planning to develop the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal into a green travel route.

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal

The China National Tourism Administration held a meeting in Tianjin to discuss the plan that involves the participation of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

A representative from the China National Tourism Administration said the project will link the development of each section of the Grand Canal to reflect the harmonious situation in China and stimulate the tourism development of regions along the Canal.

“The plan will focus on four concepts — protection, harmony, experience, and thought. The regions concerned will work together to explore the rich canal culture and provide diversified travel products for tourists by tangible and intangible inheritance,” according to the Shandong Provincial Tourism Planning and Design Institute, which is also involved in the plan.

A consultant group created to work on the project is made up of 11 experts in tourism planning, marketing, architecture and gardening, including Hou Renzhi, an academician from the China Academy of Sciences, and Chen Qiaoyi, a professor from the Department of Earth Sciences at Zhejiang University.

At 1,794 kilometers in length, the Grand Canal is known as the longest artificial river in the world. Starting from Beijing in the north and ending in Hangzhou in the south, the Canal goes through Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Earlier this year, an initiative was launched to protect and develop the Canal.

By Dan