In celebration of the tenth anniversary of the successful inscription of the Grand Canal on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the 2024 Grand Canal Cultural Development Forum opened in Yangzhou on September 5. Ten years ago, the historical and cultural city played a pivotal role in leading cities to jointly apply for the heritage status.

The one-day event aimed to deeply implement important instructions of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, on the preservation, inheritance, and utilization of Grand Canal culture. It also highlighted Jiangsu's unique role as the sole pilot area of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park nationwide.

The forum attracted representatives from all eight provinces and municipalities along the world's longest man-made waterway and featured nearly 30 renowned experts. Participants engaged in discussions about leveraging the Grand Canal's resources and explored the canal-centered culture from various perspectives.

The event included four parallel sub-forums focusing on diverse topics, such as the canal culture’s inheritance, development and contemporary expression. Furthermore, the forum highlighted significant archaeological discoveries along the Grand Canal and demonstrated the coordinated development of canal culture across different cities.

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