Known as the oldest and longest man-made canal in the world, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal stretches as long as 1,794 kilometers, with a history of over 2,500 years. It starts in Beijing in the north and ends in Hangzhou, Zhejiang in the south. The vast waterway system linking China's five great rivers, the Haihe, Yellow, Huaihe, Yangtze and Qiantang rivers, has played an important role in transportation and boosting the economy along its banks.

A view of the Gongchen Bridge over the Hangzhou section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: yunhebowuguan]