The Pizhou Section of the Grand Canal

The Pizhou Section of the Grand Canal

The Pizhou Section of the Grand Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Grand Canal

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is a great hydraulic engineering project of ancient China. Its excavation began in the late Spring and Autumn period of the 5th century BC, and after two large-scale expansions during the Sui Dynasty in the 7th century and the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century, it formed a golden waterway stretching from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south, traversing four provinces and two municipalities including Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. It connects five major river systems — the Hai River, Yellow River, Huai River, Yangtze River, and Qiantang River — with a total length of 1,794 kilometers. It served as an important "grain transport route" and economic lifeline in ancient China. For over two thousand years, it has flowed across this land, greatly boosting the social, economic, and cultural development of ancient China, while also providing people today with abundant material and spiritual wealth. Since ancient times, Pizhou has been closely linked with the Grand Canal. The Pizhou Section of the Grand Canal belongs to the Middle Canal system, starting from Tai'erzhuang in Shandong in the north and flowing into Suqian in the south, passing through the urban area of Pizhou and nine towns, with a total length of 56.1 kilometers.

Along the Pizhou Section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, the waters are broad, rich in fish and shrimp, and the environment is beautiful. The banks are covered with lush vegetation, offering pleasant scenery. There are many historical and cultural relics along the way. Within the canal basin, there are 116 sites of historical ruins and cultural relics, among which the most famous include the Dadunzi site over 6,000 years old, the Liulin site from the Neolithic Dawenkou culture, the Liangwangcheng site from the Spring and Autumn period, and the Jiunüdun ancient tomb cluster from the Warring States period. The canal area also contains a large number of paleontological fossils. In 1988, archaeologists unearthed a pair of ancient elephant tusks here that are 400,000 years old, known as the “King of Asian Mammoth Ivory Fossils.” Additionally, more than ten thousand exquisite painted pottery, bronze ware, jade artifacts, and pottery items have been excavated from these sites.

Traveling upstream, you can see several uniquely designed bridges along the way, complementing the millennia-old Grand Canal and forming a new cultural landscape. The Longhai Railway Bridge stands like an iron giant on the river, with some spectacular scenes from the films *Decisive Engagement* and *Wheels Rolling On* filmed here. The Xuhai First-Class Highway Bridge stretches like a long dragon from east to west. The Huolian Expressway Bridge resembles a magnificent rainbow connecting both sides of the canal, locally known as the “Rainbow Bridge.” This grand bridge, with a total length of 2,480 meters, is the longest river-crossing bridge along the canal.

　 When night falls, the scattered ancient lanterns on riverside towers, along with the decorative lights on bridges, docks, and nearby buildings, gradually light up, showcasing the timeless charm of the canal with its poetic phrase “City lights and river glow spring night after night.”

Over the more than one thousand years since the excavation and navigation of the Grand Canal, the hardworking people of Pizhou have created a wealth of intangible heritage, including folk music, dance, literature, and traditional arts, forming the distinctive Pizhou Canal Culture. Chen Duo, a Ming Dynasty sanqu poet, and Tang Yingzeng, a pipa player, were proud figures of ancient Pizhou. Since the birth of the Grand Canal, it has not only deeply influenced the material lives of residents along the route but also become a valuable spiritual asset, giving rise to countless moving historical anecdotes and folk legends. Among the most famous are the story of Chen Zhaoxian petitioning the emperor and the tale of the emperor and the village woman.

In the seventh year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign, 1668, the Tancheng earthquake occurred, causing the Yellow River to breach its banks, and the entire city of Pizhou was submerged. The people were displaced, and instead of sympathizing with the victims, the Qing government urged the collection of overdue taxes and grain. In the 27th year of Kangxi’s reign, the emperor traveled south along the canal and passed through Pizhou. At that time, there was a scholar named Chen Zhaoxian in Pizhou, known for his integrity and deep understanding of the people’s suffering. He wrote a petition overnight, pleading with the emperor to exempt taxes and save the people from their misery. Learning the exact timing of the emperor’s passage through the canal, Chen knew it would be impossible for an ordinary person to approach due to tight security. So he dug a hole in the canal embankment in advance, hid himself inside, tucked the petition in his hair, and had his companion disguise the entrance to avoid inspection by the imperial guards. When the emperor’s dragon boat reached the spot, Chen leapt out of the hole, approached the boat, and shouted, “Your subject has a grievance!” Once brought aboard, he presented the petition. Deeply moved, the Kangxi Emperor ordered an investigation while continuing his southern tour. In July of the 28th year of Kangxi’s reign, the emperor finally issued an edict exempting Pizhou from 140,000 taels of rent and 34,000 dan of public grain. Chen Zhaoxian’s tombstone is still well preserved in Liyuan Village, Xinhe Town.

In 1757, during his 22nd year in power, the Qianlong Emperor set off from the Qianqing Gate in Beijing and traveled down the canal to the south.

It is said that when the Qianlong Emperor visited the south, he stayed in Pizhou for two days. Dressed in plain clothes, he strolled along the riverbank. Suddenly, he saw a peasant woman driving an ox to plow the field with a whip. The ox was unusually obedient, plowing wherever the whip pointed. The emperor found this very strange but didn’t dare ask too much, so he spontaneously recited a poem: “All these years as an official, I’ve never seen a woman plow the fields; it's always men who support wives — how come here it's the wife supporting the man?” Hearing this, the farming woman pointed her whip, and the ox stopped. She responded with her own verse: “I’ve been farming these years, and it’s no surprise you’ve never seen it; pray tell, did females or males come first in this world?” The emperor was stumped and realized that Pizhou had not only outstanding scholars but also remarkable village women — truly, wisdom could be found everywhere among the people.

Legend has it that during his private visit to Pizhou, the Qianlong Emperor adopted a goddaughter in Jiakou. Eighteen years later, this goddaughter married into the Zhu family in Zhujiawaizi Village. The Zhu family was wealthy and, in an attempt to challenge the in-laws, insisted that only an official (a titled man) could escort the bride, or else they’d send her back the moment she entered the door. Left with no choice, the godfather — Qianlong’s in-law — recalled that his daughter had been adopted by a high-ranking official 18 years ago, possibly from the capital. He went to Beijing to seek help using the address left by Qianlong. Upon hearing this, the Qianlong Emperor was furious and immediately bestowed 300 dowry items, sent the Prime Minister Liu Yong to escort the bride, assigned Heshen as the dowry manager, and deployed 3,000 Imperial Guards to carry the dowry. On the path from the goddaughter’s home to Zhujiawaizi Village, 18 li away, the wedding procession consumed all the water from every well — not even leaving enough for watering horses — terrifying Zhu Dashaizi so much that he never dared to underestimate his in-laws again.

The Pizhou Section of the Grand Canal is a small microcosm of the entire canal. As we fully explore the cultural heritage of the canal and enjoy the beautiful scenery and conveniences it brings, we must also cherish and protect it. The Grand Canal Scenic Belt covers a planned area of over 30,000 acres, featuring major constructions such as the Grand Canal Museum, Qianlong’s Temporary Palace, Waterfront Resort, Riverside Park of “Along the River During the Qingming Festival,” Water Sports Area, and cruise terminals, with a total investment of 260 million yuan. Based on the beautiful natural scenery along both banks of the Grand Canal, the scenic belt delves into the region’s cultural significance, enhancing its appeal and cultural richness, striving to create a picturesque and culturally profound Grand Canal Scenic Belt.