Since the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has placed the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage in a prominent position in governing the country with a lofty sense of mission of "responsible to history and the people". The policy of "protection first, rescue first, rational use, inheritance and development" has been carried out throughout the whole process. The innovative and creative genes contained in cultural heritage have been continuously activated, and a long scroll of cultural in the new era that shines in ancient and modern times and is magnificent. The cultural protection and inheritance of Jiangsu Grand Canal is a vivid portrayal of this cultural scroll. On November 13, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out when inspecting the Sanwan Ecological Cultural Park of Yangzhou Canal: "For thousands of years, the canal has nourished the cities and people on both sides of the canal and is a river of prosperity and happiness for the people on both sides of the canal. I hope everyone will jointly protect the Grand Canal and make the canal benefit the people forever." In July 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping once again demanded to "actively participate in the construction of the two major cultural parks of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal." Following the direction guided by General Secretary Xi Jinping, Jiangsu has done a solid job in protecting, inheriting and utilizing the Grand Canal cultural heritage, so that the ancient canal canal will be rejuvenated and last forever.

Protection First: The Choice Behind the Choice of Fish and Bear's Paw

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Party committees and governments at all levels should strengthen their awe of historical relics and establish the scientific concept that protecting cultural relics is also a political achievement." "Historical and cultural heritage is left to us by our ancestors, and we must hand it over to future generations intact." The whole province of Jiangsu Province has a sense of responsibility and mission to contribute to the present and future generations, respect history, culture, and ecology, and has made real contributions to comprehensive protection, and strives to protect the ancient canal, the precious wealth left to us by our predecessors. The huge changes in Yangzhou Canal Sanwan Ecological Cultural Park over the past 10 years are one of the typical cases.

The Sanwan section of the canal is the water and land gateway to the south of Yangzhou City in ancient times. It is a great hydrograph site that ancient people respected, adapted to and utilized nature. It is known as "three bays reach one dam". In the 1950s and 1960s, this place was planned as a Southeast industrial zone, gathering 89 enterprises including pesticide plants, pharmaceutical plants, dyeing plants, etc. The water quality and air quality along the route continued to deteriorate, and the ecological environment was severely damaged. Since the new era, the Yangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have actively adapted to the people's needs for a beautiful ecology and a better life, vigorously implemented comprehensive environmental improvement, and continued to promote the renewal and transformation of the Sanwan area, which has brought about a complete transformation here.

Enterprises in the Sanwan area include two listed companies and many key state-owned enterprises. Among them, Yangnong Group's annual sales revenue exceeded 10 billion yuan and annual profit and tax revenue generated by nearly 2 billion yuan, making great contributions to Yangzhou's economic and social development over the years. However, the waste gas and odor brought by pesticide production have long plagued the lives of surrounding residents, and industrial wastewater and domestic sewage from some surrounding areas are discharged directly into the river, making the people suffer. On one side are tens of billions of output value and billions of fiscal revenue, and on the other side are the 100,000 surrounding residents' yearning for a good environment and a better life. How should we choose? For enterprises in industrial parks, "moving or not moving" has once become a topic of confusion in Yangzhou. The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China incorporated ecological civilization construction into the overall layout of the "five-in-one" socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core organically combined the protection of cultural heritage with ecological environment protection, and explored a path of high-quality development. In this context, it is urgent to solve the relocation problem.

It is not easy to make a decision. At that time, some leaders believed that "moving is necessary, but the speed should not be too fast, and they have to wait for the conditions to mature." When to move, how to carry out consultations with central enterprises and solve the huge amount of relocation funds have become practical problems facing local party committees and governments. To this end, the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee held several meetings to conduct special research. In 2014, the Yangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government made up their determination to cut off their arm, resolutely abandoned the "tasty" GDP, and decisively started the relocation of residents and enterprises along the Sanwan route. The municipal state-owned state-owned asset platform Urban Control Group cooperated with the central enterprise China Shipbuilding Corporation's 9th Institute to invest more than 3 billion yuan, relocate 671 households in an orderly manner, and fully shut down "small and scattered" enterprises in the region. According to the original cooperation agreement, the 3,000-acre core area of ​​the Sanwan area after the relocation of residents and enterprises, except for 1,500 acres of wetland parks, the remaining 1,500 acres are planned to build commercial housing. In addition to balancing the investment in relocation of residents and enterprises and park construction, the land transfer income also has a slight surplus. But is this the best choice?

In 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on "protecting, inheriting and making good use of the Grand Canal". The Yangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government opened up the ideas of renewal and transformation of the Sanwan area and resolutely changed the original plan. On the one hand, the 1,500-acre land conversion function of the originally planned commercial housing will be mainly used for the display and experience of canal culture; on the other hand, the construction standards of wetland parks will be improved, and an ecological sports and leisure park that integrates ecological conservation, environmental beautification, sports and fitness, leisure and entertainment functions will be planned and built. The price of this plan change is from being able to make money easily to having to invest nearly 3 billion yuan in construction, and tens of millions of yuan in maintenance every year. By sacrificing the fish and taking the bear's paw, Yangzhou made a choice that is more conducive to protecting cultural heritage. It is not a small account of economic growth, but a long-term historical account and people's livelihood account, which is a big account. Only with aside can you gain. Now the Sanwan area has a new look. The magnificent Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum has risen from the ground and has become Yangzhou's golden business card, allowing this canal city to bloom with a new style of the era.

In the process of modernization, we always have to face the choice of "fish and bear's paw". On the one hand, there is cultural heritage protection and on the other hand, there is economic development. This makes people wonder whether it is possible to take a win-win path where both fish and bear's paws are both good? Difficulties in practice give birth to new ideas, and new ideas lead to new changes. Based on in-depth investigation and research and listening to opinions from all parties, Jiangsu has explored a feasible plan: to promote the gathering of resource elements such as fiscal funds, financial capital, and social capital in the field of construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt. With the support of the provincial party committee and the provincial government, in January 2019, the Jiangsu Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Development Fund was officially established. The fund adopts the mother-son fund investment method, with a mother-in-law fund scale of 2 billion yuan and was established by the provincial finance. Up to now, an investment system of "1 mother fund 11 regional sub-funds 9 industry sub-funds" has been formed. Key projects in the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt covering the protection and repair of heritage sites, integrated development of cultural tourism, environmental improvement, ecological restoration, water conservancy construction, rural development and other fields have been supported by funds, and a large number of cultural heritage protection projects are in full swing. As a project leader said: "The provincial party committee and the provincial government made timely decisions, and innovation opened up a channel for long-term low-interest social capital to participate in the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt, and solved the pain points that plague our cultural and tourism development financing difficulties."

Based on the "three awesomes" of respecting history, culture, and ecology, and promoting the "three water integration" of water ecology, water culture and water economy is the basic experience that Jiangsu has obtained in the process of trying every means to protect the Grand Canal. When there is a dilemma between economic and social development and cultural heritage protection, only by insisting on protection first and correctly handling the relationship between the two can we develop in protection and protect in development, and embark on a new path to promote cultural heritage protection with high quality.

"Living" in the present: Continue the cultural life of the Grand Canal

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must attach importance to the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage, and protect the endless roots of the spirit of the Chinese nation." The Grand Canal is an important carrier of the great creative spirit of the Chinese nation, a river of nature, a river of spirit, and a living and flowing cultural heritage, with blood, flesh and soul. Jiangsu promotes the creative transformation and innovative development of canal culture with firm cultural consciousness, and explores the historical stories, cultural values ​​and spiritual connotations behind the Grand Canal in a multi-level, all-round and continuous manner, and inherits the roots of the Chinese nation through protection, so that the "flowing culture" of the Grand Canal canal can be better integrated into the present, go to the world, and inherits future generations.

For thousands of years, in people's minds, the Grand Canal has more geographical spatial concepts such as water conservancy and shipping. With the prosperity and development of the Grand Canal, rich historical relics, many famous cities, towns and villages, famous mountains, temples and lakes that are famous both at home and abroad, and their own unique folk customs and folk customs are distributed in the vast areas where the canal flows through, giving the Grand Canal a profound and long-lasting cultural connotation. These cultural heritage pearls scattered in the canals are the best telling of history.

"We must let cultural relics speak, history speak, and culture speak." General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statements enlighten us that material and cultural heritage can also be passed on in a living manner. To protect the Grand Canal, we must not only make the material canal function better, but also let the cultural canal flow into people's hearts.

"The contract is over!" This is a real scene where tickets are hard to get from Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum during the Spring Festival. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Chinese nation has a long history, Chinese civilization has a long history, and Chinese culture is profound and profound. A museum is a university." Jiangsu has built and operated the Yangzhou Grand Canal Museum at a high level in the Sanwan section of the canal, becoming the first modern comprehensive canal theme museum in China that integrates cultural relics protection, scientific research and exhibitions, and social education. Academician Zhang Jinqiu, who was in charge of the design, praised it as "exceeding the design effect at that time." The museum displays the Millennium heritage, value of the times and contemporary image of the Grand Canal in all river basins, all time periods, and all aspects. The connotation and meaning of China's excellent traditional culture are vividly displayed on paper. Since its completion and opening in 2021, it has received more than 10 million visitors and won the title of "The Most Innovative Museum in the Country", becoming an important symbol of the construction of a national cultural park.

"In the past, tourists who came to Yangzhou must go to Shou West Lake, Daming Temple, and Heyuan. Now I always say that I must go to the Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum." An online car-hailing driver in Yangzhou said that the museum has long become a new landmark in Yangzhou. Throughout history, the story of the Grand Canal has been told many times, but when we walk into the museum and listen to the story of this river again, we will find that the wonderful part of the story is that the story continues.

Protecting the Grand Canal is not only a cultural heritage, but also a continuous cultural heritage for thousands of years. Jiangsu deeply explores the multiple values ​​of cultural heritage, and in accordance with General Secretary Xi Jinping's requirements, "make the cultural relics collected in museums, the heritage displayed on the vast land, and the words written in ancient books come alive", and continue to explore a new model of the living inheritance of the Grand Canal culture.

On March 3, 2025, the TV series "North" premiered simultaneously with iQiyi in the prime time of CCTV One, with a peak ratings of 3.5367%, breaking the "real-time viewership record" of the series in the past two years, becoming the rating champion. Why is "Going North" popular? Why has it aroused widespread attention and heated discussion among the audience? Perhaps the mystery can be read from unique realistic themes and profound character portrayals. "Going North" is set in the Grand Canal and tells the rise and fall of the fate of three generations of people in the tide of the times. As the narrative space of "Going North", Huajie is a microscopic sample of canal civilization. This ancient alley built in the Ming and Qing dynasties flourished because of the canal, and was named after its "hundreds of steps along the bank and planting flowers everywhere". It is a shining pearl next to the canal. The stone roads that the young men travel through are like the time tunnel of the Grand Canal civilization inheritance - from the beginning of the opening of the Hangou by King Fuchai of Wu, to the completion of the north-south connection of Emperor Yang of Sui, to the completion of Guo Shoujing's bends and straightening of the Beijing-Hangzhou artery in the Yuan Dynasty, the canal always carries the unique engineering wisdom and water control philosophy of Chinese civilization.

The trajectory of the young man from Huajie to the world in the play is exactly intertextual with the cultural communication path of the contemporary Grand Canal. In 2014, the Grand Canal of China was successfully listed on the World Heritage List. This is the international community's full recognition of the cultural value of the Grand Canal. Scholars, artists and tourists from many countries came to explore the history and culture of the canal. The Grand Canal culture has thus become a bridge connecting China and the world. It can be said that "Going North" uses the narrative of youth growth as a prism, reflecting the multi-dimensional spectrum of Grand Canal culture in today's era. As one audience member said: "This drama has allowed me to see the changes of the times and also made me feel the warmth of life." Different ways of dissemination are inherited from historical and cultural connotations. In the comprehensive perception of the charm and depth of history and culture, people promote the endless and passed down from generation to generation.

Water veins are also cultural contexts, and protection and inheritance are integrated. In promoting the inheritance of historical and cultural heritage represented by the Grand Canal, we must find the connection point between traditional culture and modern life, and pass on the immovable cultural heritage with connotation, temperament and characteristics, so that the historical value, cultural value, aesthetic value, scientific and technological value, and the contemporary value contained therein can be better displayed, and spread more value symbols and cultural products that carry Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit.

Benefiting the people first: jointly protecting the "river of prosperity" and "river of happiness"

Regarding the correct handling of the relationship between the protection and utilization of cultural heritage, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that we must "adhere to the principles of protection first, rational use and minimum intervention" and "the protection of historical and cultural heritage should be put first, and at the same time, rational use should be made so that it can fully play its role in providing public cultural services and meeting the people's spiritual and cultural life needs." Jiangsu deeply understands and implements the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important statements, correctly handles the relationship between protection and utilization, insists on using use to promote protection, strengthens revitalization and utilization, and promotes the Grand Canal cultural heritage to continuously revitalize and enhance new impetus with the spirit of reform and innovation.

For a period of time, in terms of how to use historical and cultural heritage, some places have not started from the actual production and life of the people. There have been prominent problems such as large-scale demolition, real and fake demolition, disrepair, and improper use. There have also been phenomena of building fake antiques and tampering with history. Historical and cultural heritage has been repeatedly destroyed and demolished, and the people have had great opinions on this. Jiangsu has always attached great importance to the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage, but there were also many ideological confusions and blind spots in how to revitalize and utilize them.

In 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important statement on “The canal nourishes cities and people on both sides of the canal and is a river of prosperity and happiness for the people on both sides of the canal” and “makes the canal benefit the people forever” provided direction guidance for Jiangsu. Jiangsu regards the joint construction and common enjoyment of the people as the basis for protecting cultural heritage, focusing on the "get rich" and "happiness" attributes of the Grand Canal, further leverage the cultural, ecological and economic values ​​of the Grand Canal, and promote the transformation of the Grand Canal resource advantages to development advantages, so that the people can get more benefits.

The canal is the "river of prosperity" for the people, and transportation is the basic economic function of the canal. "It is the longest and oldest artificial waterway in the world. More importantly, it is still alive and has lived for more than 2,500 years!" "Alive" is an outstanding value when the Grand Canal applied for World Heritage, which made foreign friends admire it. Looking at the canal, this "water highway" has dense ships and is constantly traveling. "The annual freight volume of the northern section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is equivalent to 4-5 Shanghai-Nanjing Expressways." A responsible person along the canal said that the unit energy consumption of water transportation is only 1/2 of the railway and 1/10 of the highway. According to statistics from Jiangsu Transportation Department, more than 20,000 ships from 13 provinces have been transported and sailed in the Jiangsu section of the canal all year round. In the past 10 years, the annual freight volume has increased by more than 8%. In the past two years, the annual freight volume has been about 500 million tons, which is about twice the annual transport volume of the Rhine River. At present, Jiangsu is promoting the construction of "water transport Jiangsu". The "three reforms and two" project of the southern section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal will be completed this year. At that time, 2,000-ton ships will travel the Jiangsu section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal all-weather, creating more "diamond channel" in the "golden waterway". The canal will truly become the "river of prosperity" for the people.

The canal is also the "river of happiness" for the people, and benefiting the people is an important social value of the canal. Jiangsu focuses on the people's yearning for a better life, and adopts more "embroidery" skills such as micro-transformation to restore historical and cultural blocks along the canal, and carefully designs various public activity spaces to allow different age groups and families of different types to have their own place, so that everyone can live in a modern life even if they live in an alley.

"You will see you when you come to Gusu, and you will be sleeping in the river. There are few leisure places in the ancient palaces and many small bridges in the water ports." As an important node city for the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt, the Grand Canal in Suzhou connects 9 classical gardens, 6 intangible human cultural heritages and 7 heritage points. Suzhou is the only city along the Grand Canal that is considered a Heritage World under the concept of an ancient city, and it is also a shining part along the canal. How can the people truly feel the "happiness" brought by the canal? Suzhou unifies cultural heritage protection with ecological environment protection improvement, famous cities and towns protection and restoration, and cultural tourism integration and development, creating favorable conditions for economic and social development and people's lives improvement. In January 2021, the construction of the "Ten Scenerys of the Canal" was launched, including Wumen Wangting, Hushuguan, Fengqiao Night Mooring, Pingjiang Ancient Lane, Huqiu Tower, Water and Land Panmen, Hengtang Station, Baodai Bridge, Shihu Five Dikes, and Pingwang Four Rivers Collection. It is a landmark project for systematic improvement and construction of famous attractions on the canal. In Suzhou, under the night, the Thousand-Year Tiger Hill Tower blooms with colorful and fantasy. The poetic realm of "River Maple Fishing Fire" on the Maple Bridge is once again presented on a small boat... Thousands of lights shine on the canal, and ten scenes paint Suzhou. With the advancement of the construction of the "Ten Scenes of Canals" in Suzhou, the lights redecorate the canal, painting a long and prosperous picture of the intersection of ancient and modern times.

Looking at the land of Jiangsu, new landmarks of citizens and tourists visiting and immersively experiencing culture continue to emerge, and savoring culture by the canal has become a new fashion. From the representative projects of the construction and protection of Yangzhou's "Twelve Scenerys of the Canal", Suqian Zaohe Longyuncheng, Xuzhou Yaowan Ancient Town, to Changzhou City sorting out 39 industrial heritage sites along the canal and building the Changzhou Grand Canal Industrial Heritage Exhibition Hall, to Wuxi's fine creation of the canal waterfront space, holding the Xu Beihong Painting Exhibition and Picasso's first exhibition in Asia, they are tied into chains and closely close to the daily lives of the people, the Grand Canal has truly become a "happy river" that people can see and feel, and jointly build and share.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Jiangsu Province has worked together to promote the protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal cultural heritage and the construction of the Ancient Canal National Cultural Park, so that the ancient canal, the cultural business card, will shine even more in the new era. To promote the protection, inheritance and utilization of cultural heritage, benefiting the people is the basic principle and value position. The cultural value, ecological value and economic value of the canal will ultimately be reflected in whether the people are benefiting and whether the happiness index is improved. This is also a vivid reflection of the people-centered development idea in the cause of cultural heritage protection. We must handle the relationship between protection and utilization well, adhere to creative driving and highlight digital empowerment, integrate history and culture with modern life, and let people remember history and homesickness in co-construction and sharing.

Our culture continues and our creations are endless. Today, historical and cultural heritage represented by the Grand Canal is entering people's lives in a more vivid way. The ancient canal has a new look in the organic integration of tradition and modernity.

"People's Daily" (10th edition, June 13, 2025)