The institute is working on such projects as an intangible cultural-heritage database in response to the national-level plan to develop the Grand Canal Cultural Belt and the Grand Canal National Culture Park.

"The city was born with the canal," Huang says.

"So, the culture of Yangzhou and the waterway are essentially one and the same."

One of the various measures to protect local culture includes an intangible cultural-heritage zone, where artisans can exhibit and sell their products, he says.

"Many Yangzhou residents volunteer to assist with the canal's preservation," Huang says.

Volunteers come from municipal, district and even village levels, and range in age from primary school students to retirees.

Yangzhou hosts various canal-related annual events, including the World Canal Cities Forum and the World Canals Conference, which focus on international exchanges related to the preservation of canals; the Grand Canal Culture and Tourism Expo, featuring parades on the waterway; and exhibitions and performances.

"Yangzhou's section is still one of the most vibrant parts of the Grand Canal," Gu says.

"Its annual shipping capacity exceeds 300 million metric tons, much of which is building materials and energy sources. Visitors can still see fleets of boats sailing on the waterway today."