Zhou Kui, an associate professor at the Communication University of China, acts as a guide at the China Grand Canal Museum in Yangzhou. [Photo provided to China Daily]

He organized a quiz for the other participants to guess the meanings of phrases from the Yangzhou dialect and explain their cultural connotations.

Duan points out that Yangzhou was not only an important hub on the Grand Canal but also connected to the Yangtze River basin. Goods traveling along the Yangtze River could be shipped through Yangzhou to northern China, while the salt produced in Yangzhou could be shipped to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The history of Yangzhou, a city with a glorious past, reminded Ma of Istanbul, a city at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, which also enjoyed past glory.

He speaks of the Turkish word huzun, which Nobel laureate author Orhan Pamuk uses in his autobiography, Istanbul: Memories and the City, to encapsulate the collective melancholy experienced by the city's inhabitants following the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

"Though I'm walking through today's Yangzhou, I'm imagining what it used to be like," Ma says, adding that at that moment, he experienced a feeling of huzun of his own.

Discussions such as these provided the audience with insight into how the Grand Canal has shaped Yangzhou's past and present.

"Even though the show focuses on the Grand Canal, it really digs deep into exploring and understanding each city along the way.

"It shows life along the Grand Canal through food, fun, and chats with local residents, giving viewers a peek into the culture and history of these cities. It doesn't shout about the Grand Canal, but it's just there, part of everyday life. Those cozy little snapshots of urban life keep the poetic charm of the ancient canal alive," commented one user on the review site Douban.

Zhang Jin, an expert involved in the World Heritage application for the Grand Canal, views the series as a kind of "ceremonial ritual" to drive the conscious protection of its heritage.

"The goal of the program is to increase public awareness of the history of the Grand Canal and promote its preservation, a habit that will inspire future generations to carry on the legacy," she explains.

"Historical memory needs to be awakened. We have already taken action to that end, and we will continue to do so in the future. What we still need to think about is how we can use historical memory to make things better today," Duan adds.