A grand time at the Grand Canal
Print Edition
ATHREE-DAY party along the world’s longest artificial waterway, the Grand Canal of China, will be held in Hangzhou, featuring folk cultures, food and histories of the cities along the canal.
Initiated by authorities from Hangzhou and with 18 of the participating cities, the Grand Canal Temple Fair which runs from October 18 to 21 aims to teach locals and tourists in Hangzhou about the canal’s culture and history.
Creative knickknack markets, as well as a float parade on the water showcasing local cuisine, kung fu and acrobatics, are just some of the items meant to attract visitors.
“The scientific way to protect the river is to develop sustainability, or in other words, to keep the river healthy and to make it the people’s river,” says Zhang Wenge, deputy secretary general of the Hangzhou municipal government.
He says that in the past 12 years, the Hangzhou government has spent more than 20 billion yuan (US$3.26 billion) to protect and develop the river, aiming to make the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal a world-level tourism product. The Grand Canal Temple Fair is meant to demonstrate the product’s charm.
The temple fair is a Chinese cultural gathering traditionally held adjacent to temples, and activities usually include worshiping deities, entertainment and shopping. This time the fair will be held near Xiangji Temple.
In ancient times, people living along the canal held prayer ceremonies, and performers will revive this practice at the Canal Culture Plaza. There will be music, dancing and ceremonies to pray for good weather.
During the performance, an “ambassador” from Beijing will pass a bottle of water taken from the Beijing section of the canal to an “ambassador” from Hangzhou, who will infuse the water into the river — a gesture similar to passing on the Olympic flame.
Following that is a float parade put on by 18 cities that dot the Grand Canal. Each float will have a different theme. The Beijing float, for example, will tell the history of granaries along the river; the Tianjin float will exhibit its local New Year paintings; the Yangzhou float will have a jasmine flower theme; and the Suzhou float will showcase traditional opera. The last and main float will stage an acrobatic performance depicting the canal boatmen’s lives.
The fair will be celebrated in four other venues: Qiaoxi Historical Block, Tangxi Ancient Town, Dadou Road Historical Block and West Lake Culture Plaza. Visitors can reach the venues by boat.
At Qiaoxi Historical Block, next to the Canal Culture Plaza, a market will offer dim sum and local handicrafts, all listed as intangible cultural heritage.
In Tangxi Ancient Town, a Lamb Noodle Competition will be held at noon every day during the temple fair. Lamb is a specialty of Tangxi, and everyone is encouraged to nominate the best noodles in town.
At Dadou Road, people can play traditional games such as hopscotch, hoop rolling and paper folding. There will be a vegetarian food fair in front of Xiangji Temple.
A creative market selling accessories and paintings will be held at the West Lake Culture Plaza.
Timetable of the fair
October 18
9-9:30am
Worshiping ritual at the Canal Culture Plaza
9:30-11:30am
Float parade on the water under the Gongchen Bridge
October 18-21
9am-8:30pm
Vegetarian food fair in front of the Xiangji Temple
9am-9pm
Intangible cultural heritage fair at both banks of the Gongchen Bridge
10am-4pm
Traditional games on Dadou Road
9:30am-9pm Creative market at the West Lake Culture Plaza
11am-12:30pm
Lamb noodle competition in Tangxi Ancient Town
1:30-3:30pm Storytelling (traditional style) at the Pingyuan Tea House in Tangxi Ancient Town
Recommended travel routes
Watch the ritual and the float parade at the Canal Culture Plaza, and then tour the market at the plaza and have lunch there. Go to the Qiaoxi Dock and take the ship to the Xiangji Temple Dock. Play games on Dadou Road and tour Xiangji Temple, and don’t forget to check out the vegetarian food fair. Take a boat back to Qiaoxi dock to finish the trip.
Grand Canal cruise
• Day cruise
The ship runs between Qiaoxi Dock and Xiangji Temple Dock from 8am to 4:30pm (except during the morning hours of October 18). A one-way trip takes 30 minutes and costs 60 yuan per person. The boat only runs if it has more than 10 customers.
• Night cruise
The ship runs between Wulinmen Dock (near Hangzhou Tower) and Gongchen Bridge Dock from 3:30pm to 8:30pm. You can experience the illumination project on the Grand Canal designed by French designer Roger Narboni in 2009. It takes 60 minutes and costs 100 yuan per person.
Cruise to Tangxi Town, Yuhang District
From October 19-21, the boat takes visitors to North Tangxi Town from Wulinmen, and costs 150 yuan per person. It takes two hours to reach the town, and visitors have four hours to tour the area. The boat departs at 9am, and will return to Wulinmen at 5pm.
Tel for booking and consulting (only in Chinese):
(0571) 5607-9230, 5607-9211
Tel for Wulinmen dock: (0571) 8519-0851
Tel for Qiaoxi Dock: (0571) 8810-3113
How to get to the docks
• Qiaoxi Dock: Opposite to the gate of China Umbrella Museum. There are some pavilions selling books and a public bike rent spot.
• Xiangji Temple Dock: On Dadou Road, in front of the Jiangnanyi Restaurant
• Gongchen Bridge Dock: Northeast to the bridge. Find the bridge end that next to Qiaoxi Historical Block, walking northward for two minutes.
• Wulinmen Dock: Find the Canhigh Building of Hangzhou Tower, which is at the east side of the building.
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