Interview with Feng Gu: Revitalizing and Activating Canal Cities through the Integrated Protection of Water Heritage of the Grand Canal

Authors

  • Feng Gu Former director of the China Grand Canal World Heritage Application Joint Office
  • Kaiyi Zhu Delft University of Technology & UNESCO Chair Water, Ports and Historic Cities
  • Qingyong Zhu Guangling College of Yangzhou University

Downloads

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2024.2.15

Keywords:

Grand Canal, integrated approach, canal cities, World Heritage, cultural and ecological belts

Abstract

China’s Grand Canal was the world’s most extensive civil engineering project before the Industrial Revolution. This interview explores how the process of applying for and achieving World Heritage status has led to the improvement of the environment surrounding the Grand Canal and encouraged collaboration among canal cities spanning eight provincial administrations. It highlights the role of water heritage as a catalyst for improving the protection of historic landscapes and waterscapes as well as the Grand Canal’s cultural heritage. It also addresses how these efforts have supported the integrated development of canal cities. The Grand Canal remains a vital link that promotes balanced cultural, ecological and economic development, contributing to the sustainability of various canal cities across northern and southern China.

How to Cite

Gu, F., Zhu, K., & Zhu, Q. (2024). Interview with Feng Gu: Revitalizing and Activating Canal Cities through the Integrated Protection of Water Heritage of the Grand Canal. Blue Papers, 3(2), 186–95. https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2024.2.15

Published

2024-11-21

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024): Water & Heritage for Sustainable Development

Section

methodologies and case studies

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Feng Gu, Kaiyi Zhu, Qingyong Zhu

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Feng Gu, Former director of the China Grand Canal World Heritage Application Joint Office

Feng Gu is the former director of the China Grand Canal World Heritage Application Joint Office, deputy director of the Grand Canal Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, and the former director of the Yangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau. Following his retirement, he is now a member of the Jiangsu Provincial Museum of Literature and History. He is also a researcher and the honorary director of the Yangzhou Museum.

Kaiyi Zhu, Delft University of Technology & UNESCO Chair Water, Ports and Historic Cities

Kaiyi Zhu is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the Chair History of Architecture and Urban Planning, Delft University of Technology, working at the interface of architectural and urban history and heritage studies. She is also affiliated with the UNESCO Chair Water, Ports and Historic Cities, as well as the LDE Port City Futures project and Centre for Global Heritage and Development. Kaiyi obtained her PhD at TU Delft where she completed the research project “In the Name of Conservation.” Her research mainly focuses on the transnational exchange of ideas, layered cultural values, the interpretation of heritage concepts and contemporary urban regeneration.

Qingyong Zhu, Guangling College of Yangzhou University

Qingyong Zhu is a senior lecturer at Guangling College of Yangzhou University. He focuses on the study of engineering management and has long been involved in preservation, adaption and regeneration practices of historic architecture and landscapes in the old city center of Yangzhou.