The inaugural Grand Canal Culture and Tourism Expo in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province launched on May 3 and May 4 a series of activities that reveal the profound historical legacies of the oldest canal and artificial river in the world.

100-meter long scroll depicts Grand Canal’s history

One key activity during the expo is a painting show in Yangzhou Art Museum, organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, Jiangsu Culture and Tourism Department, Jiangsu Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Jiangsu Chinese Painting Academy and Jiangsu Artists Association.

The Chinese Grand Canal Epic Scroll project started in last October. Currently, 15 painters from seven provinces and cities along the Grand Canal have visited over 20 towns in three provinces and two municipalities and then completed a scroll at one meter tall and 46 meters long after their hard creations in five months.

The final scroll, to be finished before the end of this September, will be 120 meters long and 2.4 meters tall when completed and collected by the (China) Grand Canal Museum now under planning. It will become the largest piece of work on the theme of the Grand Canal jointly created by domestic artists.