Taierzhuang Ancient City

　　The Canal Ancient City is situated in the Taierzhuang District of Zaozhuang City. It is not only a symbol of national spirit and a historical monument but also a bearer of canal culture. To this day, it retains numerous historical relics and has been praised by the World Tourism Organization as the "Living Canal" and the "Last Remaining Heritage Village of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal." Rebuilding Taierzhuang Ancient City has been the dream of generations of its people. With its ancient canals and docks, it is an oriental water city where one can cruise and explore the entire city. As China’s first memorial city of World War II, the rebuilt Taierzhuang Ancient City will become the world’s fourth reconstructed ancient city after Warsaw, Pompeii, and Lijiang, the world’s third WWII memorial city, and China’s only cross-strait exchange base. Known as the “Water Town North of the Yangtze – Canal Ancient City,” it has now become the new urban calling card of Zaozhuang, the coal city. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

　　　Historically, Taierzhuang was a renowned canal city bustling with merchants and residents. It originated in the Han Dynasty, developed in the Yuan Dynasty, and flourished during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. According to the "Yi County Annals": "Taierzhuang spans the canal, lies at the north-south thoroughfare, gathers merchants and travelers, and boasts affluent residents. Its scale surpasses all other towns in the region, earning it the title 'Foremost Town Under Heaven' from Emperor Qianlong." It presented a thriving scene of "merchants in a continuous line, fishing boats dotting the river, songs echoing for miles, and markets bustling day and night." However, this beautiful ancient city was reduced to ruins by the bombardment of the Battle of Taierzhuang in 1938.
　　The Battle of Taierzhuang, which took place in the spring of 1938, left the ancient city in ruins. After the victory of the battle, the Nationalist Government announced on the front page of the Central Daily News its intention to rebuild Taierzhuang Ancient City. However, due to various reasons, this plan ultimately came to nothing. After the founding of New China, the ancient city area of Taierzhuang remained the seat of government for both Lanling County and the Taierzhuang District. The Party and the people focused their main efforts on socialist construction projects such as mountain and water management, battling nature, canal regulation, and farmland transformation. It was not until the period of reform and opening up that Taierzhuang underwent tremendous economic and social changes. Urban development gradually shifted toward the new western district, while the old city's residential areas...

　　...remained in their primitive, outdated state. The 3,000 residents of Shunhe Community Committee, who had not yet fully transitioned away from agriculture, still lived in shantytowns with harsh living conditions. The redevelopment and reconstruction of Taierzhuang Ancient City became the dream of generations of its people.

　　On April 8, 2008, during the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Battle of Taierzhuang, Zaozhuang City officially announced the launch of the reconstruction project of Taierzhuang Ancient City. The goal was to establish it as China’s first memorial city of World War II and to create a unique cultural tourism brand along the canal, recognized both nationally and internationally.

　　The city was officially opened on May 1, 2010. On May 4, the honorary chairman of the Kuomintang visited Taierzhuang Ancient City to lay the foundation stone for the Taixing Building.

　　 Introduction to the Ancient City

　　　　Taierzhuang Ancient City covers an area of 2 square kilometers, featuring 11 functional zones, 8 major scenic areas, and 29 attractions. Eight architectural styles blend together, and 72 temples are gathered within the city, representing a fusion of northern and southern elements as well as Chinese and Western influences. It is a living fossil of canal culture. The city retains the last 3 kilometers of the original Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, hailed by the World Tourism Organization as the "Living Canal," making it the final surviving stretch of the historic waterway. Within the city, there are 18 ponds and 7 kilometers of water streets and alleys, allowing visitors to cruise and explore the area—truly an authentic ancient oriental water city. It is also the first cross-strait exchange base approved by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, serving as an important platform for exchanges between the two sides.

　　Taierzhuang Ancient City spans 2 square kilometers, with 53 well-preserved war relics. As the world’s fourth reconstructed ancient city after Warsaw, Pompeii, and Lijiang, the world’s third WWII memorial city, and China’s only cross-strait exchange base, the rebuilt Taierzhuang Ancient City holds significant historical and cultural importance.

　　In terms of cultural presentation, the Taierzhuang Ancient City scenic area focuses on the culture of the battle, the canal, and southern Shandong. It plans to construct top-tier museums both domestically and internationally, such as the Canal Memorial Exhibition Hall and the Lanqi Book House, gradually transforming the entire ancient city into a vast encyclopedia. Regarding business operations, it mainly features high-end domestic brands of bars, teahouses, inns, and exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage along the canal and in Shandong, enriching the thematic cultural content through an innovative approach. In terms of scenic area operation and management, the famous brand "Foremost Town Under Heaven" is promoted to ensure premium tourism quality. Managed according to the standards of a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, it strives for world-class standards in operational systems, commercial features, and service management. The goal is to establish Taierzhuang Ancient City as a travel destination that combines "canal culture" and "battle culture" within one city, blends "Shandong’s bold spirit" with "southern charm," and is rich in humanistic appeal. It aims to become a unique, world-renowned tourism and leisure resort along the canal, a shining jewel and treasured gem among world cultural heritage sites.