A Chinese political advisor here on Sunday proposed the
government make more efforts to protect the Grand Canal, saying the
ancient waterway that connects Beijing and Hangzhou, capital of
booming eastern Zhejiang Province, is not only culturally valuable
but also remains important to economy.
"We have already made a good beginning in the protection for the
canal. However, we do face a series of problems," said Liu Feng at
the third plenary meeting of the annual session of the National
Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
(CPPCC), the country's top advisory body.
The protection work lacks an overall planning and a unified
coordination mechanism, as well as adequate funds, while the folk
customs and art along the canal is on the verge of extinction, said
Liu.
The 1,794-km canal is the longest artificial waterway in the
world. Parts of the canal were dug in the fifth century B.C. and
the full canal had been serving as a major south-north artery of
transport after being completed in the 13th century.
The ancient canal still plays an important role in navigation,
irrigation and flood control, the advisor said.
More than 100,000 vessels sail on the canal at present,
transporting goods three times the freight of the north-south
artery Beijing-Shanghai railway. The canal has also great potential
in tourism development, according to Liu.
Liu called for the establishment of an administration commission
of the Grand Canal directly under the State Council, or the
cabinet, and a national regulation on the protection for the
canal.
He also suggested the application agenda for the canal's world
heritage status be drawn as soon as possible.
Wu Jianmin, spokesman for the CPPCC National Committee session,
said on March 2 that the canal deserves equal protection efforts to
those given to the Great Wall, which is under state key protection
and on the World Heritage list of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The Grand Canal has been included into China's new candidate
list for the UNESCO World Heritage status.
(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2007)