Site of the Canal Transport Commissioner's Office

Site of the Canal Transport Commissioner's Office

The Site of the Canal Transport Commissioner's Office is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The Canal Transport Commissioner's Office during the Ming and Qing dynasties was located in the center of Huai'an Prefecture City, aligned along the same central axis as the Zhenhuai Tower and Yingxun Gate (South Gate) to the south, and the Huai'an Prefecture Office to the north. It was grand in scale, covering an area of about 20,000 square meters, with 213 rooms, and three memorial archways—the central one inscribed with "Heavy Ministers Manage Affairs," and the ones on the east and west respectively reading "Serves the Nation Supreme" and "--Central Plains." Along the central axis were arranged the main gate, second gate, main hall, second hall, Grand View Tower, Huai River Festival Tower, and rear courtyard; on the east side were the official hall, clerks’ offices, Donglin Study, Zhengzhi Hall, Earth and Water Shrine, and Overlook Pavilion; on the west side were the official hall, Bailu Hall, Shizhu Studio, and Laihe Pavilion. On the east and west sides outside the main gate stood a memorial archway each, opposite the gate was a screen wall, and in front of the gate were a pair of white alabaster lions brought from Persia during the Yuan Dynasty. The main hall faced south with a north orientation, was 28.8 meters long from east to west and 22.8 meters wide from north to south, featured five bays and five rows, had a bluestone floor, and included 34 large pillars. The site of the Canal Transport Commissioner's Office main hall currently preserves 33 pillar bases. In 1860, the Canal Transport Commissioner’s Office was relocated 15 kilometers away to Qingjiangpu, and the buildings here were gradually abandoned.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province