The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal [Photo provided to ehangzhou.gov.cn]

East China's Zhejiang province described in detail a document on how to preserve Grand Canal culture, which was published last year, on April 14.

Zhang Jinqiang, an official from the Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission, said at a news conference that the province is going to enhance the international influence of the Zhejiang section of the Grand Canal, better preserve culture along the river and highlight the canal's value in today's world.

The Grand Canal is a cultural heritage and is of great value in ecological protection, culture and tourism, and water transport, according to Zhang. He noted that the value of the canal will be further explored in order to support the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region.

The document showed that from 2020 to 2025, Zhejiang will focus on strengthening the protection and scientific use of canal resources, and in the next 10 years, it will consolidate efforts and promote the culture. By 2050, the Zhejiang section of the canal will be created into a cultural symbol in Zhejiang.

The Zhejiang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, an artificial river that dates back to 1,300 years ago, passes through the cities of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Huzhou, Jiaxing and Shaoxing. The districts of Xiacheng, Jianggan, Gongshu, Xiaoshan and Yuhang in Zhejiang's capital city of Hangzhou are among the 18 key protected areas of canal culture.