HANGZHOU, China – The Grand Canal in China has been nominated as the Eighth Wonder of the World by virtualtourist.com, a member of the Trip Advisor Group. The digging of the Canal began over 2400 years ago and took many years to complete. It runs through four provinces, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, including the two cities of Beijing and Tianjin, with a total length of 1,794 km. It is the longest, largest and most ancient canal in the world. It is part of the spiritual wealth left by Chinese ancestors and is an important living and flowing heritage of human life.
The Grand Canal is a highlight of tourism in Hangzhou as well as a classic destination for understanding the water culture in the south and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It passes through rich and refined Qiantang Land and from its beginning, changed the circumstances of Hangzhou citizens, making it a more prosperous city as it joined the north and south together. Visitors and locals enjoy the Grand Canal by hiking, boating, cycling or just relaxing. The Hangzhou section presents a scroll of “flowing Chinese civilization and paradise for leisure.”
International visitors to the Grand Canal in Hangzhou find an “authentic Chinese flavor” while the Chinese find an “authentic Hangzhou flavor.” The Hangzhouese find it very fashionable.
Public voting began on June 3 and continues until September 30th, 2013. All voters are encouraged to go to www.virtualtourist.com/8thwonder and vote every day during that period for the Grand Canal. Each voter is allowed one vote per day.
For information on voting for the Grand Canal to become known as the 8th wonder of the world, go to VirtualTourist. For information on the Grand Canal, read here.
About Hangzhou
Hangzhou is in a pure natural landscape on West Lake surrounded on three sides by hills and is the site of gorgeous pagodas, pavilions, lush gardens and historic temples. Hangzhou is the political, historical and cultural center of Zhejiang Province on the southeast coast of China, only 45 minutes from Shanghai on the bullet train. For getting around the city, bicycles are an important and healthy means of transportation and may be rented by the hour. Many museums celebrate the culture and history of Hangzhou, including the ancient culture of Liangzhu, with 50 recently unearthed archeological sites. Hangzhou is China’s tea capital where Longjing tea, the most famous variety, is produced. The Lingyin Temple is one of the world’s most important temples with over 400 carvings cut into limestone. A number of internationally acclaimed festivals occur here including the Dragon Festival, an annual boat race said to be lucky for those who watch it.
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