Flowing for millennia, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal once served as the economic lifeline of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as a bridge for the integration of northern and southern cultures. Along its banks, countless towns and villages, intertwined with the canal, have nurtured a diverse culture of canal transportation, intangible cultural heritage, traditional opera, and culinary delights. Over the past decade, as the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei has become a national strategic priority, this grand waterway has gradually begun to regain its former glory.
'Three Temples and One Pagoda' Scenic Area
The 'Three Temples and One Pagoda' constitute a large complex of ancient architecture in North China, serving as a significant carrier of Beijing's Grand Canal culture and an essential component of the creation of a national 5A-level cultural tourism scenic area. The "Three Temples and One Pagoda" refer to the Temple of Confucius, the Randalin Pagoda, and the Yuosheng Temple and Ziqing Palace, which are adjacent to the Pagoda.
The Tongzhou Confucius Temple is the oldest existing Confucian temple in the Beijing area. The Randalin Pagoda, complementing the Confucius Temple, has become a landmark ancient building in the city sub-center. The Dacheng Hall serves as Confucius' shrine and the most important building in the Confucian Temple complex, with a terrace in front, forming a layout resembling the Chinese character "凸", which symbolizes prominence and unity.
The Lighthouse Pagoda, a symbol of Tongzhou District, was immortalized in a poem by the Qing Dynasty poet Wang Weizhen, which reads, "After the rain, the sail are safe and sound, recognizing Tongzhou by the shadow of the tower." With a history of over 1400 years, the Randalin Pagoda served as a beacon for the thousand-year-old transportation on the Grand Canal. Seeing the pagoda, passing ships on the canal would know they had reached Tongzhou. "Tower Piercing the Clouds" is one of the Eight Sceneries of Tongzhou.
The Ziqing Palace, originally constructed in the mid-Ming Dynasty, now showcases Qing Dynasty architecture. The central east wall of the main hall boasts inscriptions detailing the reconstruction of the Ziqing Palace during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty.
The scenic area also offers unique projects such as "Cultural Exhibition,""Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop," and "Health Exhibition," utilizing technologies such as AI and holographic projection to create immersive experiences for visitors, preserving and inheriting the folk customs and intangible cultural heritage along the Grand Canal, fully displaying the historical and cultural charm of Tongzhou.
Xihaizi Park Park
Xihaizi Park is located on the western side of the northern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, established in 1936 and expanded in 1985, representing a brilliant pearl embedded within the city of Tongzhou. In ancient times, lakes were referred to as "haizi." To the north of the old Tongzhou City, there were two Haizi lakes, and this one lies to the west, hence named Xihaizi.
Xihaizi Park follows the traditional Chinese landscape gardening concept, using the technique of "revealing while concealing" in its overall design, combining natural elements such as water, stones, flowers, and trees to create a variety of picturesque scenes. A stroll within the verdant confines significantly enhances the park's visual layers and colors, forming a diverse and picturesque landscape with varying levels and types.
Through multiple renovations and expansions, Xihaizi Park has evolved into its present form. Now, with water at its heart, the park revolves around the canal culture and Tongzhou's history, incorporating historical landmarks such as the Three Temples, the Lighthouse Pagoda, Hulutou Lake, and the tomb of Li Zhuowu, to form a unique landscape structure featuring "one pagoda, two lakes, and four districts." This transformation has positioned Xihaizi Park as a new urban sub-center attraction, where ancient and modern blend seamlessly, water and greenery intertwine gracefully, and tranquility coexists harmoniously with vitality.
Da Guang Lou
Da Guang Lou, built in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1528) and renovated during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, was expanded with an additional platform. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, officials responsible for supervising would inspect the grain shipments arriving from the south here, hence its name, "Grain Inspection Tower."
Qing Dynasty poet Chen Yupeng wrote a poem titled Trip to the famous dam ‘Da Guang Lou’, which describes the grandeur of the tower and the vast expanse of water at the confluence of the Grand Canal and Tonghui River, the bustling scenes of ships carrying grain along the Grand Canal from the vast and remote regions of Central China and Jiangnan, and the busy activity of workers loading the inspected grain onto boats at the Tonghui River's Hulutou.
An official from the Qing Dynasty, after admiring the view from the tower, penned a couplet. "From the heights, the chill is unbearable, yet one can trace sandpipers and sails, and the seventy-two turns of the river; the sunset is infinitely beautiful, as we gaze upon the smoke, clouds, the trees and mountains." The first line depicts the tower's lofty position, with a panoramic view southward, where sails dot the horizon, evoking the memory of Tianjin's 'ding'-shaped river confluence, with its vast expanse and majestic scenery. The second line turns north towards the capital city, where the setting sun glows brilliantly, casting shadows over distant mountains shrouded in clouds and nearby trees lush and green, reminiscent of the splashed ink landscapes painted by Mi Fu and his son.
Like the Randalin Pagoda, Da Guang Lou is a landmark building at the northern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, possessing significant historical and scenic value. In recent years, a two-story building with ancient-style gable-and-hip roofs and barrel-tiled eaves, also named "Da Guang Lou," was constructed near the site of the original Da Guang Lou on the west bank of the present-day Grand Canal. Although it is not the original structure, it serves as a commemoration of the grandeur of the past Da Guang Lou.
Qianhe Xielu Bridge
The design of Qianhe Xielu Bridge began in 2012, with the bridge's structure themed around the lotus, symbolizing the integration of lotus and dew, which embodies the rich cultural heritage of the canal spanning a millennium. The graceful white curved lines on both sides of the bridge mimic the shape of lotus leaves, naturally dividing the bridge into three tiers of landscape platforms, seamlessly blending walkways, bike paths, and the bridge structure.
At the lowest viewing platform, there is also a Dew Gathering Terrace. On rainy days, as water gently trickles down the bridge piers, resembling droplets of dew, it creates a picturesque scene reminiscent of "a thousand lotus leaves dripping with dew."
Whether admiring the canal scenery from the bridge or strolling along the wooden walkways on both sides of the canal to appreciate the view of Qianhe Xielu Bridge, the best time to visit is at dusk during sunset, offering excellent opportunities to capture the play of light and shadow.
Looking southeast from Qianhe Xielu Bridge,one can see the giant bronze sculpture "Oriental" created by contemporary artist Han Meilin standing proudly on the opposite shore. This sculpture depicts an eastern dragon writhing and clawing majestically, with three auspicious qilins at the base, symbolizing the development of the city's sub-center and economic prosperity. Surrounding the sculpture is a hilly lawn area, making it a prime spot for kite-flying and family outings within the city.
The Grand Canal Academy
Just a few minutes' meandering walk from the winding path of the southern sector of the Grand Canal cultural tourism area, one stumbles upon
A serene ancient building in the style of the Song Dynasty, the Grand Canal Academy, can be found within a few minutes' leisurely walk from the west gate 3 of the southern section of the Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Area. The plaque of the academy, inscribed by the renowned writer and scholar Yu Qiuyu, adds a touch of cultural allure. The entire academy exudes an air of grace and elegance. From a distance, the main entrance boasts white walls, black tiles, and wooden hues, with symmetrical eaves and corners, emanating an ancient charm. With an interior space of nearly 1000 square meters, the academy houses over thirty thousand volumes, encompassing canal culture, literature, art, poetry, history, and traditional Chinese studies. Additionally, it hosts various themed book clubs and exhibition events periodically.
Grand Canal Forest Park
Situated on both sides of the Grand Canal in Tongzhou New City, Beijing, the Grand Canal Forest Park offers asphalt pathways that are ideal for hiking, featuring flat surfaces and signs that indicate distances and coordinates, making it convenient for visitors to navigate. Visitors can easily track their location and monitor their physical activity levels, adding an element of fun to park exploration.
Another delightful option is to stroll amidst the flowers. Lined with millennium-old trees, the pathway provides ample shade, presenting a four-season forest landscape with cherry blossoms in spring, plane trees shading in summer, gingko trees coloring in autumn, and evergreen pines persisting in winter.
Cycling along the park while exploring the Six Parks and Eighteen Scenic Spots is another excellent choice. On the left bank of the park, approximately 20 kilometers of waterfront cycling lanes lead to dozens of leisure spots. Motor vehicles are strictly prohibited on these bike paths, creating a safe, exclusive route for cyclists. Riding along the "Canal Greenway" allows one to breathe in the fresh air of the forest oxygen bar while enjoying the scenic beauty along the way.
City Green Heart Forest Park
Located on the southern bank of the Grand Canal, the City Green Heart Forest Park is a city forest park that integrates ecological restoration, citizen leisure, and cultural inheritance. The park's layout comprises the "core area, two rings, three belts, and five districts," with ecological conservation as its core, integrating the 24 solar terms culture, regional culture, forest culture, and ecological culture to create thirty-six scenic spots.
Strolling through the park, one feels as if they are in a natural oxygen bar, immersed in the freshness and tranquility of nature. It is an ideal destination for urban residents and tourists alike, who can unwind and slow down to appreciate the beauty of nature. Here, children chase and play on the grass, young people leisurely fish by the lake, and the elderly take walks and exercise in the woods. This park has become a haven for urbanites seeking to relieve stress and seek solace, as well as a source of poetic inspiration and distant dreams granted by nature.
Moreover, the park regularly hosts cultural events such as concerts, art exhibitions, and Hanfu shows, attracting numerous artists and art enthusiasts who create and communicate, thereby elevating the cultural atmosphere of the park to a new height. Additionally, the park serves as a paradise for photography, painting, and outdoor sports enthusiasts, who capture the beautiful moments here with their cameras, brushes, and footsteps.
Ancient Town of Zhangjiawan
Adjacent to the City Green Heart Forest Park on the north and near the Beijing Universal Studios on the west, with the southeast backing onto the Grand Canal, lies a millennium-old town once famous for its bustling merchants and thriving canal transport, known as Zhangjiawan, boasting the title of "the first dock of the Grand Canal."
Named after the Yuan Dynasty, Zhangjiawan once bore the responsibility of transporting grain to the Yuan Dynasty capital. General Zhang Xuan anchored his ship here after sailing from the southeast along the sea route to the Lu River, forming a dock at Zhangjiawan. By the thirteenth year of the Qing Dynasty's Jiaqing reign (1808), floods diverted, river channels silted up, and canal boats ceased to pass through, signifying the gradual decline of the prosperous Zhangjiawan's docks from the stage of canal transportation.
With the continuous advancement of the construction of the Grand Canal cultural tourism belt in recent years, the millennium-old town of Zhangjiawan, this shining pearl, has been linked by the Grand Canal. Visitors never forget this ancient town, where ancient city gates and stone lions still stand tall on the city walls, and the “living” revitalization of Zhangjiawan has gradually unfolded.
Built on the site of the original industrial courtyard cleared through demolition, Zhangjiawan Park has constructed urban forests that showcase diverse planting features, including "bird-watching forest, cultural forest, and wetland forest," tailored to the unique characteristics of the site. Drawing on the nostalgia associated with ancient villages and temples, the park embraces the design concept of "village-water-forest-garden," creating scenic spots such as "overlooking Shuangtai in the north, lingering Sihe in the middle, and searching for Xilin in the south," and has initially constructed attractions like " Imperial View of Sihe, Mark of Cao Shi, and Ancient Alley of Sihe."
Zhangjiawan is also renowned for its rich cultural heritage. According to historical records, Cao Xueqin's family owned land and a pawnshop in Zhangjiawan. In 1992, stone carvings from Cao Xueqin's tomb were unearthed in Zhangjiawan. At the "Cao Shi Mark" site in Zhangjiawan Park, numerous walls and lattices narrate in a leisurely manner through poems and carved patterns the fascinating stories of the literary giant Cao Xueqin, Zhangjiawan, and the Grand Canal.
Hebei Xianghe Chaobai River Grand Canal National Wetland Park
The Xianghe Chaobai River Grand Canal Wetland Park is centered around the Chaobai River, with ecological corridors on both sides serving as green veins, forming a landscape of "one river, two banks, three zones, and twenty-eight scenic spots." The park features diverse wetland types and abundant biodiversity, particularly in bird species. During migration seasons, tens of thousands of geese, ducks, and gulls rest here, presenting a spectacular sight.
Amidst the clear waves of the Chaobai River, accompanied by a gentle breeze, one can enjoy the picturesque scenery of lush water grasses and the soothing sound of flowing water, interspersed with folk tunes sung by boatwomen, echoing with vitality and vigor.
In the vast lotus pond area, endless lotus flowers, green lotus leaves, and stout lotus stems paint a beautiful picture reminiscent of the northern Jiangnan region. Within the lotus pond, wooden boardwalks meander, and ancient pavilions exude an air of antique charm, offering a retreat reminiscent of a secluded paradise.
The Waterfront Chaobai Scenic Area covers an area of 500 mu, leveraging the leisure zone along the Chaobai River and the rural environment, historical context, and industrial characteristics of Beilizhuang Village, to create a premier rural tourism and vacation destination integrating nostalgia experiences, leisure agriculture, parent-child study tours, handicraft experience, specialty cuisine, and boutique homestays, specifically catering to visitors from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.
Here, there are no vast seas, towering mountains, or extraordinary landscapes, but there is the deep-rooted rustic charm, the diligent and simple traditions, and the ancestral motto of "Cultivate the land and study for generations, inheriting poetry and books for eternity." Immersing oneself in this picturesque countryside washes away the hustle and bustle of urban life and the turmoil within, offering a refreshing and unique rural leisure vacation experience.
