Wuxi section of the Grand Canal [Photo/IC]

The Wuxi Branch of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt Construction Research Institute and the Wuxi Grand Canal Belt Construction Research Institute were launched at Jiangnan University on Sept 11.

The two institutes will work on conserving the historical and cultural resources along the Wuxi section of the Grand Canal and promoting the ecological, cultural and tourism development along the waterway.

Xia Jinwen, director of the Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, urged Wuxi to pilot the protection, use of the canal and pass on the knowledge of the Grand Canal nationwide.

The Grand Canal, an ancient water conservancy project, is the world's earliest, longest and largest canal.

It has a length of 2,700 kilometers and was the main waterway for ancient China's north-south traffic. It passes through a total of eight provinces and municipalities.

Wuxi Mayor Huang Qin said in a briefing that the Grand Canal is the mother river of the city. He expected the new institutes to have a huge impact on conservation work along the canal and would help solve any problems it encountered.

This year, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council have approved a province and department joint meeting system to coordinate and cooperate on major tasks and projects related to the Grand Canal, in order to build the Grand Canal into a beautiful symbol and promoter of China's image and civilization to the world.