To mark China’s 20th annual Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, reporters visited three of Hangzhou’s UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites—West Lake, the Grand Canal (Hangzhou section), and the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins—to explore how the city is innovating in the protection, inheritance, and revitalization of its cultural heritage.

Chinese and international guests taking a group photo by the Grand Canal in Hangzhou

The Grand Canal, the first in China to traverse mountainous terrain, has played a pivotal role throughout history in unifying political governance, integrating regional economies, enabling long-distance transport, and fostering cultural exchange. It remains one of the world’s most influential waterways and a milestone in global canal history.

According to Fang Youqiang, Director of the Integrated Protection Center for the Hangzhou Section of the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Hangzhou section is where the canal most deeply intertwines with everyday life. For generations, residents have lived along its banks, and the city’s prosperity has flowed from it. “The Grand Canal links north and south, connects rivers to the sea, and has long supported China’s national integration and its dialogue with other civilizations,” Fang noted. “It is not only a powerful cultural symbol for the Chinese people, but also a national emblem of heritage.”

Visit the Gongchen Bridge Historical and Cultural Street of Hangzhou Grand Canal

In recent years, Hangzhou has successfully transformed former industrial zones along the canal into vibrant public spaces. The former Hangzhou Iron & Steel Plant was repurposed into Grand Canal Hanggang Park, preserving iconic structures such as blast furnaces, coke ovens, and silos. The park now regularly hosts lifestyle festivals and open-air concerts. Likewise, the old Hangzhou Oxygen Plant has been reborn as the Wulin Star Exhibition Center, blending art, commerce, and cultural innovation.As a recognized World Heritage site, the Grand Canal has become a dynamic stage for cultural renewal. Seven themed museums—such as the China Grand Canal Museum—have been built along its route, each offering a distinct and immersive experience.

Ye Min, a local resident who has lived by the canal for more than a decade, reflected on the area’s remarkable transformation: “When I moved here in 2005, it was still surrounded by old factories. After years of restoration and gaining World Heritage status, it’s become more beautiful and vibrant. I often take friends to visit the museums now—it’s something to be proud of.”

A stroll across Gongchen Bridge on the Grand Canal in Hangzhou

Fang explained that Hangzhou has closely integrated heritage protection with improvements to urban living, ecological restoration, and economic transition. For example, the comprehensive West Lake preservation project restored public access to scenic waters, adopted smart management techniques, and greatly enhanced both the cultural atmosphere and the city’s overall appeal. Similarly, revitalization of the Grand Canal has led to improved water quality, reconfigured historical street patterns, and reinvigorated local culture. Especially notable is the adaptive reuse of former industrial facilities—now transformed into cultural hubs and creative industry clusters—bringing new life and contemporary energy to the ancient canal banks.

At the China Knives, Scissors, and Swords Museum, French student Théo Lexcellent carefully painted an oil-paper umbrella by hand. He arrived in China earlier this year to study Mandarin and chose to settle in Hangzhou, drawn by its natural beauty and cultural richness.

A stroll across Gongchen Bridge on the Grand Canal in Hangzhou

“The Grand Canal is as vital to China as the Seine is to France,” Théo remarked. “Waterways are essential to a country’s development, and making this umbrella myself gave me a much deeper appreciation of the canal’s heritage.”

“Gaining World Heritage status brings a site under international protection and professional conservation frameworks,” said Yang Jianwu, President of the Zhejiang Association for Cultural Heritage Protection and Distinguished Expert at the Zhejiang Urban Governance Research Center. “Strict conservation standards help preserve a site’s authenticity and material integrity, protecting it from natural and man-made threats and securing its value for future generations.” “Through cultural heritage,” Yang added, “people from different regions and countries can discover the essence of Chinese civilization, fostering a stronger emotional connection and deeper mutual understanding.” (End)

译文：

走进中国大运河（杭州段）品千年运河活态传承故事

时值中国第20个“文化和自然遗产日”，记者于近日走进西湖文化景观、中国大运河（杭州段）、良渚古城遗址三大世界文化遗产，了解杭州在文化遗产保护、传承与利用的创新路径。

大运河是中国第一条实现“穿山越岭”的运河，在统一政治、融通经济、便利交通、文化交流等方面发挥着重要作用，是全球最具影响力的水道之一，更是世界运河史上的里程碑。

杭州市京杭运河（杭州段）综合保护中心主任房友强表示，中国大运河（杭州段）是杭州最有烟火气的地方，千百年来杭州人枕河而居，杭州城更因河而兴，“大运河沟通南北、通江达海，促进中华民族的交流融合和东西方文明交流互鉴，这是当之无愧的民族文化符号和国家文化名片”。

杭州钢铁厂工业遗存变身大运河杭钢公园，保留了高炉、焦炉、筒仓等标志建筑，生活嘉年华、草坪音乐会接连上演；杭氧老厂房变身武林之星博览中心，通过“博览+商业”的运营模式，打破传统商业界限……作为世界文化遗产，大运河畔的文化项目不断涌现，中国京杭大运河博物馆等7个各具特色的博物馆相继建成。

在大运河畔居住了10多年的居民叶闵便是这段变迁的见证者，“2005年我刚搬来的时候，周边还有很多工厂旧址。后来随着河道治理的推进、申遗的成功，大运河变得越来越好，人气也越来越旺，周边的博物馆成了我常带朋友打卡的地方。”

房友强表示，杭州把申遗与社会民生改善、城市有机更新、经济转型发展结合起来，如西湖综合保护工程实现了还湖于民免费开放，进行精细化保护管理，形成持续的美誉度和吸引力，最后赋能全市带动杭州城市能级提升；运河综合保护工程通过整治水质，梳理街巷肌理格局，激活历史文化资源，特别是工业遗存再利用为公共文化空间，导入新型业态，运河两岸呈现出安居乐业、古韵今辉的活态风貌。

在中国刀剪剑博物馆内，来自法国的徐朗(Theo Lexcellent)正专注地为自己的油纸伞描绘图画。今年初，他来到中国学习中文，因喜爱自然与美丽的景致，选择在杭州求学。

“中国大运河连接南北，其重要性就像法国的塞纳河，水路交通对国家经济发展意义重大。”徐朗说，亲手制作油纸伞的体验，让他加深了对中国大运河的印象。

“申遗将遗产置于国际视野与专业保护框架之下，通过严格的保护标准与措施，确保遗产本体得到妥善维护，避免因自然或人为因素遭到破坏，为人类文明的传承保留物质基础。”浙江省文物保护利用协会会长、浙江省城市治理研究中心特聘专家杨建武表示，不同国家和地区的观众通过文化遗产，走进中国文化的世界，增进了对中国文化的理解和喜爱。（完）