International Young People Explore China's Grand Canal

From September 8 to 11, 2026, twelve young people from nine different countries embarked on a journey to explore the Grand Canal, a thousand-year-old waterway that connects Beijing, Tianjin, and Liaocheng. Hosted by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and the CICG Center for International Cultural Communication, the North China Tour of the GYLD Grand Canal Tour aimed to uncover the enduring legacy and renewed vitality of this historic waterway.

The tour began in Tongzhou, Beijing, aboard a passenger boat on the Grand Canal. Mr. Liu Shizhao, a 78-year-old former photographer with People's China, shared his experiences of cycling along the canal and offered his best wishes to the international participants. He emphasized the importance of not only appreciating the scenic beauty but also understanding the lives of ordinary people living along the canal.

Hassnain from Pakistan expressed curiosity about the way of life along the canal. He hoped to see how people live, eat, travel, and go about their daily lives, gaining firsthand insights into the canal's impact. In Tianjin, Huo Qingshun, a representative inheritor of Yangliuqing woodblock New Year paintings, shared the history of how the Grand Canal gave rise to this national-level intangible cultural heritage. He guided the international youth in trying traditional painting techniques.

In Liaocheng, visitors were captivated by the ingenious design of Guangyue Tower and the exquisite brick and wood carvings at the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall. The city's rich array of local delicacies and its many Peking Opera enthusiasts offered vivid evidence of Linqing's historic prosperity and affluence. Jan Jakub Zywczok from Poland noted that the construction of the Grand Canal could be seen as an ancient Chinese "science fiction story" come to life, reflecting the harmonious coexistence between people and nature and the belief in human endeavor to overcome natural challenges.

Asela Prabath from Sri Lanka held up a Yangliuqing New Year painting, saying, "Behind this painting is the people's sense of happiness. So it is not just a painting, but a painting of people's happiness." The tour also highlighted the cultural exchange between China and other countries, with the Linqing longhair cat, a living relic of this exchange, drawing the attention of the young visitors.

The GYLD Grand Canal Tour is part of the Global Young Leaders Dialogue project, a people-to-people exchange program. The tour aims to deepen the understanding of the cultural heritage and new vitality of the ancient Grand Canal among young people from different countries. They will continue to explore more cities along the canal, carrying the stories of the Grand Canal to every corner of the world and helping more people understand China.