On Friday, September 5, 2024, Yangzhou, a city known for its rich cultural heritage and historical sites along the Grand Canal, hosted a cultural exchange meeting focused on the revival of Chinese traditional culture. The event brought together a diverse group of participants, including scholars, experts, and online influencers from both China and abroad.
The meeting served as a platform for sharing insights into Chinese traditional culture and exploring the artistic significance of the Grand Canal. Participants engaged in lively discussions, exchanging ideas and perspectives on how to best preserve and promote this iconic waterway.
Gu Feng, former head of the Yangzhou Cultural Heritage Bureau, emphasized the crucial role of the Yangzhou section of the Grand Canal in grain transport and agricultural irrigation, dating back to the Sui Dynasty (581-618). He highlighted how the canal connected major water systems across China, transcending regional boundaries and fostering the conditions for national unity.
“The Grand Canal bears witness to history and serves as a source of artistic inspiration. Painting enables us to capture the beauty and legend of this waterway, and preserve its culture,” said Li Manyuan, a Chinese-style painter known online as Yuyuhetaotao.
Liu Jiaxi, another painter known online as Lumingshan, echoed this sentiment, stating, “The Grand Canal is the precious heritage left by our ancestors. Blending traditional culture and canal chic with the millennium Grand Canal helps us inherit this heritage.”
Indonesian painter Dr. HC MAS Hedi Suryatna stressed the importance of preserving cultural and artistic heritage and promoting it through social media to showcase its tourism potential to the world.
“The Grand Canal holds immense cultural significance. It’s a melting pot of traditions where diverse cultures converge and exchange ideas. I hope that its future will be just as rich as its past,” expressed Meerim Dzhunushalieva, a Kyrgyzstan student majoring in painting.
This meeting was part of the “Canal Chic: Reviving China’s Heritage” Jiangsu tour, organized by China Daily Website and supported by local cyberspace administration authorities in Jiangsu province. The Grand Canal stretches for 790 kilometers across Jiangsu, linking eight cities from south to north—Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Huai’an, Suqian, and Xuzhou. Experts recognize this section as having the richest cultural heritage, making it a vital site for promoting Chinese traditional culture and tourism.
