Grand Canal The magnificent scenery of Hangzhou Canal Square.

Grand Canal The magnificent scenery of Hangzhou Canal Square.

Hangzhou Canal Plaza is a landmark building to commemorate the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. There are two canal cultural squares on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, one is Tongzhou Canal Cultural Square in Beijing at the northern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and the other is Gongshu Canal Cultural Square in Hangzhou at the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Hangzhou Canal Cultural Square is located on the east side of Chen Gong Bridge of the ancient canal, covering an area of 52,000 square meters, integrating culture, commerce, sightseeing and entertainment. There are China Jinghang Grand Canal Museum, large-scale lighting and music fountain, underground shopping center, three antique towers of Jiekun, Zhijin and Qujian people, and water bus Wharf, which complement the Chen Gong Bridge with a history of more than 400 years.

At the top of the archway in the square, the words "Li Zegan Qiu" are conspicuously written, and the couplet on the square column reads "Wu Gou Sui Duyuan is majestic in three dynasties, and one river, five rivers and six provinces are thoroughfares of thousands of miles". At the eastern end of Chen Gong Bridge stands the stone tablet of "the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal", which marks the end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. In the past, the opera houses around Chen Gong Bridge, also known as tea gardens, could drink tea and watch operas. At that time, Tianxian Tea Garden, Ronghua Tea Garden and Yangchun Tea Garden were the three famous tea gardens in Hang Cheng in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Together with the theaters on both sides of the canal, it has become a prosperous place for drama and folk art in Hangzhou.

The wide Canal Cultural Square and four bronze reliefs tell the ancient history of the Canal, and the China Grand Canal Museum shows the past lives of the Canal. Whenever night falls, in the traditional music of Jiangnan, the square fountain spews out all kinds of neon changes and alternating lights, forming a wonderful audio-visual picture.