Beautiful Grand Canal tour in Hangzhou

Located inside Xiawan Lane, Gongshu District, Fuyi Granary consists of three courtyards and three rows of barns. As one of the existing famous ancient granaries along the Grand Canal, Fuyi Granary started building in the sixth year of Guangxu Period in Qing Dynasty (1880) and was completed in the tenth year (1884). TAN Zhonglin, who was the General Governor of Zhejiang at that time, took charge of the granary. It is called “World Granaries” together with Nanxin Granary of Beijing, and is now a cultural relic site under provincial protection. Fuyi Granary is the last existing old warehouse, with a history of more than 100 years. Its name bears the meaning of “Getting rich from love, getting peace from harmony”.

Built in the fourth year of Chongzhen reign in Ming Dynasty (1631), Gongchen Bridge is a stone three-arch bridge standing across the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal. In 1986, the Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government included the bridge in its list of relics under municipal protection. The Gongchen Bridge is the highest and longest stone arch bridge among ancient bridges in Hangzhou at 92 meters long and 16 meters high. In Chinese “Gong” literally means meeting and “Chen” refers to the place where emperors live. Gongchen Bridge served as a symbol of hospitality and respect for the king. It is the end point of the Grand Canal and a transport hub in the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal.

Hangzhou is in Zhejiang Province, China. It is one of the most important tourist cities in China, famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritage. It is the political, economic and cultural center of Zhejiang province as well. It's worthwhile to know that it's extremely humid in summertime, which is from early June to early September. The city was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty from 1127 until the Mongol invasion of 1276. This historic city is a showcase for traditional medicine, religion and art as well as a shining example of China’s rapid economic development. Combining idyllic natural beauty, a grand heritage through the ages and an air of affluence, Hangzhou is one of the country’s most livable and pleasant cities to linger in.

Arts & Crafts Museum Hangzhou is located on the west bank of the Gongchen Bridge which crosses over the Grand Canal. It was rebuilt from the industrial relics of the former Honglei Silk Weaving Factory and acts as a specialized museum of comprehensive arts and crafts. The museum provides normal audience with the permanent site to know about arts and crafts history of Hangzhou, appreciate masterworks as well as to interpret the meaning in the handicraft. As a result, it opened a window for the masters to imparting their crafts in society and set a platform to communicate with masters and art without distance for the public. Moreover the museum also plays as an art enlightened educational body for teenagers . The museum was opened to the public in September 2011, with overall floorage of 18,930 square meters.

The Grand Canal, about 1,764 kilometers (1,200 miles) long, is the longest and greatest man-made waterway in ancient China, far surpassing the next two of the world: the Suez and Panama Canals. With 27 sections and 58 historical sites, it was placed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2014. Running from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in the south to Beijing in the north and connecting different river systems, Grand Canal contributed greatly to ensuring that the Chinese primary economy thrived in past dynasties. Now more than 2,000 years old, some parts of the canal are still in use, mainly functioning as a water-diversion conduit.

Xiangji Temple was once a famous temple in Hushu District of the Grand Canal. Back in the day, the Grand Canal is crowded with coming and going boats. Xiangji Temple was a must-pass for Buddhists around Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou to go from the Grand Canal to Lingyin and Tianzhu areas to pay religious homage and burn incense. Xiangji Temple had a high status in the Buddhist circle along the canal and in Hangzhou.