Abstract

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Title:: Huaian Section of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal: Protection and Utilization of Its Cultural Heritage

Keywords:: Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal; Huaian; cultural heritage; remains; protection and utilization

Abstract:: The history of canal construction in Huaian can be traced back to the period of King Xu Yan. As an important part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal which is now applying for the World Cultural Heritage, the Huaian section has more remains of tangible and intangible cultural heritages than other sections along the canal. To be specific, the cultural heritage of Huaian section consists of the following four aspects: 1)the remains of the channel and hydraulic engineering constructions; 2)the cultural remains of the towns along the canal; 3)the intangible cultural heritage along the canal; 4)the human and natural landscapes along the canal. Over hundreds of years, these remains did not decline with the canal’s rise and fall or the social changes, but instead kept their unique cultural forms with great vitality. However, during the process of industrialization and modernization, those remains are suffering serious damage. All this provokes our deep thinking and requires us to take a positive attitude when assessing the value of the canal, which will surely help protect this cultural heritage effectively and correct the deviations in economic construction.