Ancient Canal Qinchuan

Ancient Canal Qinchuan

The Ancient Canal Qinchuan is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Suzhou.

Ancient Canal Qinchuan

The Qinchuan Canal starts from Zhenhai Gate (North Water Gate) in the west, passes through Xiaoyi Bridge, and reaches Xianxing Bridge in the south. It essentially traverses the city and collects the seven streams of Qinchuan, exiting through Yingchun Gate (Little East Gate) in the east and flowing into the water gate of Yijing Gate (South Gate) in the west. It served as a main channel for drainage and grain transport in the city. From north to south, the canal is spanned by a sequence of bridges including Zhenhai Gate Bridge, Shengjia Bridge, Cang Bridge, Tongjiang Bridge, Qu Bridge, Cu Ku Bridge, Fangta Bridge, Qinchuan Bridge, Ying’en Bridge, Wanwan Bridge, Xingxian Bridge, and Xianxing Bridge. The canal was dredged during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the entire canal was fully dredged, and in 1980, a 170-meter stone revetment was constructed from Tongjiang Bridge to Qu Bridge. In 1981, over 1,700 meters of revetments on both sides were renovated. The Qinchuan Canal is one of the oldest surviving urban structures within the city and holds significant importance for the study of urban development in Changshu. It also has considerable value for research on transportation within the Changshu urban area. It was designated as a municipal cultural heritage site of Changshu in November 1982.