(Photo/Li Xinjin)

More than 200 people including experts and business leaders participated in a meeting of the World Historic and Cultural Canal Cities Cooperation Organization (WCCO) online or in-person in Yangzhou’s Jiangdu District on May 18.

In the 2021 World Canal Ancient Town Cooperation Mechanism Conference, participants discussed the preservation, inheritance and utilization of cultural legacies of canal cities and exchange views on the sustainable development.

Yangzhou as the birthplace of the Grand Canal in China is also home to the remains of the first man-made canal Hangou, now under the administration of Zhuxi Sub-district. The area has supported cultural fairs by engaging with start-ups in the local industrial park, attracting the participation of young people amid efforts to promote the canal culture.

Many canal cities and venues in the world are known for the splendid culture, harmony with the nature or unique architectural styles. For the Grand Canal, Shaobo Town in Yangzhou is also a hub of many heritage sites and a window to understand the long history of Chinese civilization.