The 2023 China Grand Canal Cultural Belt Beijing-Hangzhou Dialogue and the Beijing (International) Canal Cultural Festival kicked off in Beijing on Nov 13. 

The event featured 11 activities, including an opening ceremony and main forum. The event also attracted extensive public participation through various in-person activities throughout the year, such as music festivals and marathons, so that the Grand Canal culture can be adapted to the modern world, according to the organizers.

A photo exhibition on the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt of China, titled "The New Style of the Millennium Grand Canal Era", was also held on Nov 13. 

A photo exhibition on the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt of China opens on Nov 13. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

The photo exhibition features a number of national first-class cultural relics, such as the Boju Beard and the Kexuan, some of which had witnessed the birth of the Grand Canal, showing the water conservancy achievements and the grand scenery of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Visitors can also enjoy a panoramic view of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal from a high altitude through satellite images, and the picture scroll of the Grand Canal drawn by AI will transport the audience back to the canal and immerse them in the landscape and culture along the canal.

During the event, representatives from Tianjin, Hebei and other places gathered in Beijing to showcase new achievements in the protection and utilization of China's Grand Canal Cultural Belt in terms of ecological governance and cultural and tourism integration.

The Grand Canal, the 3,200-kilometer-long, 2,500-year-old waterway connecting Beijing and Hangzhou, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the longest artificial waterway in the world.  It consists of three sections built during different periods, unifying the powerful northern and the fertile southern regions of ancient China.