My UNESCO World Heritage Postcards: China

"The Grand Canal is a vast waterway system in the north-eastern and central-eastern plains of China, running from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang province in the south. Constructed in sections from the 5th century B.C. onwards, it was conceived as a unified means of communication for the Empire for the first time in the 7th century A.D (Sui Dynasty). This led to a series of gigantic worksites, creating the world’s largest and most extensive civil engineering project prior to the Industrial Revolution. It formed the backbone of the Empire’s inland communication system, transporting grain and strategic raw materials, and supplying rice to feed the population. By the 13th century it consisted of more than 2,000 kilometres of artificial waterways, linking five of China’s most important river basins. It has played an important role in ensuring the country’s economic prosperity and stability and continues today as a major means of internal communication.

The Grand Canal has 10 main sections of ancient artificial waterways. The nominated serial
property is made up of 31 individual properties, corresponding to a little over 1,000 km of navigable
waterways, most of which are still filled with water, but some of which are today archaeological sites. Together they represent a total of 85 major heritage items, consisting of 27 canal sections and 58 cultural heritage sites on the Grand Canal.

The properties are as follows:

1) Tonghui Canal (Beijing):
- Old Beijing City - Tongzhou

2) Bei Canal (Tianjin):
- Sanchakou

3) Nan Canal (Hebei, Shandong):
- Cangzhou–Dezhou

4) Huitong Canal (Shandong):
- Linqing - Yanggu complex - Nanwang Complex - Weishan

5) Zhong Canal (Shandong, Jiangsu):

- Taierzhuang - Suqian

6) Huaiyang Canal (or Li Canal) (Jiangsu):
- Qingkou site near Huai’an - Caoyun Governor’s Mansion - Yangzhou region

7) Jiangnan Canal (Jiangsu, Zhejiang):
- Changzhou City - Wuxi City - Suzhou - Jiaxing-Hangzhou region - Nanxun

8) Zhedong Canal (Zhejiang):
- Hangzhou Xiaoshan-Shaoxing - Shangyu-Yuyao - Ningbo - Ningbo Sanjiangkou.

9) Tongji Canal (Henan, Anhui):
- Hanjia - Huiluo- Zhengzhou - Shangqiu Nanguan - Shangqiu Xiayi- Liuzi - Si

10) Wei Canal (or Yongji Canal) (Henan):
- Hua and Xun - Liyang

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1 - HUAIYANG CANAL (Yangzhou - Jiangsu)
Slender West Lake of Yangzhou, Jiangzhu. A fine day after snow in early spring of Twenty four Bridge Scenic Zone. Thanks to Wang of Jiangsu, China who visited here.

Postcard 2 - HUAIYANG CANAL (Yangzhou - Jiangsu)

Wenfeng Tower at Yangzhou.

Postcard 3 - HUAIYANG CANAL (Jiangsu)

Huaian in Jiangsu.

Postcard 4- JIANGNAN CANAL (Hangzhou - Zhejiang)

Gong Chen Bridge, Jiaxing-Hangzhou region, Jiangnan Canal. I bought this maxicard in Shanghai in November 2011. I bought this maxicard in Shanghai in Novembe 2011.