Expats working in Beijing's media industry get an introduction on the history of the canal at the Beijing Grand Canal Museum during a cultural tour in Tongzhou district, Beijing, June 15, 2024. [Photo/China.org.cn] 

Expats working in Beijing's media industry visited three new community spaces in southeast Beijing's Tongzhou district on June 15. Co-organized by various government departments of Tongzhou district, the trip was designed to expand the international editors, journalists and hosts' understanding of Grand Canal Culture as well as the high-quality urban development of the capital's sub-center.

"The visit was very interesting as it offered an insight into Tongzhou's development, architecture and culture," said Magdalena Rojas, a journalist for China Today's Spanish edition. "I believe the Chinese government is doing a great job in its attempt to preserve cultural heritage, and Tongzhou is no exception. The three places we visited — the center for performing arts, the library and the Grand Canal museum — are all a testimony of that effort."

The cultural activity started with a guided visit of the Beijing Performing Arts Centre (BPAC), a part of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). Participants got to see firsthand the Dutch-designed facilities' vast concert halls and theaters. 

A staff member at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre introduces one of its new concert halls to expats working in Beijing's media industry during a cultural tour in Tongzhou district, Beijing, June 15, 2024. [Photo/China.org.cn] 

BPAC opened in December 2023 with the goal of fostering both international outreach as well as promoting cultural heritage. Since opening to the public, the center has hosted international orchestras and staged western plays as well as regularly presenting traditional Chinese dramas and operas. 

The cultural activity also provided participants with the chance to see how innovation and high-quality development was used in the construction of the Beijing City Library, which opened its doors late last year. Technical amenities include a metaverse room where patrons can immerse themselves in a virtual version of the library as well as a robot barista. 

The main hall of the gingko forest-inspired Beijing City Library in Tongzhou district, Beijing, June 15, 2024. [Rochelle Beiersdorfer/China.org.cn] 

The public library's overall construction was conscious of energy conservation. The 75,000-square-meters space is a certified China Three Star green building, receiving a Green Building Evaluation Label from China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, according to Snøhetta, a Swiss architecture firm that contributed to the library's construction.

This educational outing also included a tour of the Beijing Grand Canal Museum where participants learned about the area's cultural and historical significance within China's long history. 

The last event of the activity was a cruise down the Grand Canal at dusk, allowing the group to observe the intermingling of cultural heritage and modernization as they floated by traditional Chinese structures and contemporary high-rises. 

A replica traditional boat stands outside the Beijing Grand Canal Museum in Tongzhou district, Beijing, June 15, 2024. [Rochelle Beiersdorfer/China.org.cn] 

"After visiting the Grand Canal museum, I learned that the world's longest and largest canal is located in China. It's good to know about the history of canals and their related stories. I also love the boat ride experience on the canal," stated Si Thu Tun, a social media editor and host at China Report ASEAN, when asked for his thoughts on the activity. 

All three community spaces are built around the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which runs nearly 2,000 kilometers. With construction beginning in 468 B.C., the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the only waterway in China that runs north to south, making it a channel not only for goods and services but also aided in the spread and cultivation of local cultures and exchange. 

In 2014, the canal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was inducted into the international institution's Intangible World Heritage List. 

A view of the Grand Canal in Tongzhou district, Beijing, June 15, 2024. [Rochelle Beiersdorfer/China.org.cn] 

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