On September 28, the 2020 World Canal City Forum opened in Yangzhou, Jiangsu.
At the forum, Shan Jixiang, former dean of the Palace Museum and dean of the Palace Academy, delivered a keynote speech on "Review and Prospect of the Protection of the Grand Canal in China".
Shan Jixiang said that the Grand Canal is a long, linear cultural heritage, a dynamic and living cultural heritage. The protection of the Grand Canal has changed our understanding of cultural heritage, and it has broken the concept of traditional cultural heritage protection. .
(Reporter Cui Jiaming Ge Yong)
[Concurrent] Shan Jixiang, former Dean of the Palace Museum and Dean of the Palace Academy
China’s Grand Canal has formed the world’s most extensive cultural heritage. In the past, our cultural relic protection was often static. (For example) ancient ruins, ancient tombs, cave temples, including the Great Wall, they all lost their original functions. The object to be viewed and studied.
However, the Grand Canal is a dynamic, a living cultural heritage.
Today we know that the chain of cultural heritage protection should not be broken. Today, China’s Grand Canal World Heritage has linked 35 cities in eight provinces to such a vast area.
We have summarized 16 aspects of the landscape features that need to be protected in the Grand Canal, (respectively) we need to protect natural landscape, historical landscape, architectural landscape, engineering landscape, transportation landscape, river landscape, historic district landscape, garden landscape, religious landscape, Commercial landscape, traditional residential landscape, folk landscape, living landscape, production landscape, artistic landscape, and finally, the unique urban landscape along the Grand Canal should be protected.
Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】