Stretching more than 2,500 years from Beijing to Hangzhou, the Grand Canal was once the backbone of the China’s economy, moving goods and people across regions. Its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 affirmed both its scale and its lasting global significance.

Today, the canal’s Tongzhou section in Beijing tells a different story. High‑rises now rise along its banks, while ancient bridges have been carefully restored, a landscape shaped by urban development and cultural preservation working side by side. As the northern gateway of the Beijing‑Tianjin‑Hebei region, Tongzhou section reflects a broader transformation where infrastructure, environment and heritage converge.

More than an archaeological treasure, the Grand Canal is a working example of how heritage can be mobilised for development and diplomacy. In the China‑Africa Year of People‑to‑People Exchanges, it stands as a reminder that shared history and living culture can build bridges between continents, just as trade routes once did.

Wacth LIVE: The Grand Canal — where ancient trade routes meet modern ties

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Wu Qiong, Wang Shengdong, Zhang Weize of CMG Beijing Bureau contribute to the live show.