Catch a glimpse of Nanyang town along Grand Canal

A report from GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE:

Situated in Weishan county, Jining, Shandong province, the town of Nanyang offers an abundance of convenient water transport and a history dating back over 2,000 years.

The shape of the town resembles a pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument similar to a lute. Sitting on an island spanning 3.5 kilometres by 500 meters, and surrounded by more than 80 islets, Nanyang paints a beautiful picture of a Chinese water town.

In ancient China, it ranked among the most cherished old towns and was known as “the Pearl of the Grand Canal”. This year, Nanyang has been rated as a national AAA-level tourist area.

It offers over 30 places of interest and a rich culture of water transport. There are many legends about emperors of yore who stayed in Nanyang during their tours of southern China, and historic buildings like Huji Bank that serve as “living fossils” of the country’s private banking culture.

The local culture and economy experienced various ups and downs as its society rose and fell. The prosperity of the town dates back to Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and peaked during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, when Nanyang served as a key commercial port on the bank of the Grand Canal.

source: GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE