A student team from School of Journalism and Communication, Yangzhou University has completed visits to ten cities along the Grand Canal to research the cultural legacy for a documentary during the summer vacation in July. 

The team travelled for 2,700 kilometers in 13 days and made stops at cities including Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Huaibei, Luoyang, Zaozhuang, Jining, Cangzhou, Wuqing, Tongzhou and Yangzhou. 

In the research tour, they made studies of towpaths, ancient towns of Linhuan and Luoyi, and landmarks including Tianjin's Sancha River Estuary, where the South and North Grand Canal and Haihe River converge.  

They conducted surveys, took photos and videos, interviewed local residents, and collected information at museums to better understand the impacts on people’s life of the vast waterway connecting the northern and southern parts of China. 

Shi Pangyu, a member of the team, said the team carrying heavy equipment usually walked for five kilometers a day despite temperatures often up to 35 degrees. Because of a limited budget, members often traveled by overnight sleeper trains and worked in the daytime. When there were no hard sleeper seats, they just managed to spend the night on the cheaper hard seats. 

Thanks to the good planning, the team was able to ensure a high efficiency and it’s definitely worthwhile to make the efforts in coming close to the Grand Canal, the rich cultural heritage and unique local customs, said Shi.  

In March this year, the team won a certificate issued by the Jiangsu Provincial Copyright Administration in recognition of their original idea for a cultural design bearing the hallmarks of Grand Canal. Later, their products in the line including clothing, food, lifestyle and office supply hit the market online and offline. 

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