When one hears "Grand Canal" one typically thinks of Venice. However, China has a Grand Canal as well and, at over 1,100 miles long, it truly lives up to its name! The canal is considered to be the second greatest engineering feat in ancient Chinese history, second only to the construction of the Great Wall.The canal was built to link the city of Hangzhou, south of Shanghai, with the capital in Beijing. Parts of the canal were constructed as early as 500 BCE. 1200 years later, the southern end of the canal was built. The final stage of construction took place during the Yuan dynasty, in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Over the centuries, it served as the main means of shipping grains, coal and other goods (and sometimes the imperial court) between the northern and southern regions of China. Legend is that the fattened ducks that are still a special part of Beijing cuisine bulked up by following grain barges on their journey north, reaching the capital at peak size!
Today, several of the villages that dot the canal have become popular tourist attractions from Beijing. Zhou Zhang is the most frequently visited, but our local tour guide arranged a visit to Zhu Jia Jiao, which is a bit closer to Shangai and a bit more off the beaten path.
Our bus parked in a large parking lot outside the city and we entered, not knowing exactly what to expect. A series of small canals links the different parts of the town to the body of the Grand Canal. Bridges, some built thickly with boulders, others more delicately constructed of wood and smaller stones, traversed the canals that are lined by picturesque buildings.
By one of the bridges, we came across bowls of small fish and turtles for sale. Our first thought was "dinnner!" Then we learned that one would purchase the animals and release them into the canal to bring good luck. A couple of people tried it; whether it brought them good luck, I don’t know. It isn't esepcially good luck for the animals: I'm pretty sure that the fish and turtles would be caught again just downstream, to be sold to another tourist!
There is some shopping available. One of the people I was with bought several bolts of gorgeous silk cloth. However, there were not the usual variety of street merchants and shopkeepers pleading for you to look at their wares.
As in many places in China, a part of my mind wondered if I the whole place wasn’t a "scam" built to attract tourists. But if it is, it’s certainly a well done one. Should you have an afternoon to travel outside of Shanghai, a visit to one of these villages is a worthwhile stop.