The 2025 Grand Canal Cultural Event Series officially started on Saturday in Beijing's Tongzhou District, celebrating the 2,500-year-old Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal with colorful activities.

With over 2,500 years of history, the canal of 1,794 kilometers is the world's longest of its kind. It has been a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site since 2014. The canal connects central Beijing to its outskirts and then travels south, connecting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers while meandering past several urbanized areas.
Under historical landmark of Tongzhou Lighthouse Pagoda, the launching ceremony featured an immersive reenactment of canal's waterway transport opening, a centuries-old ritual marking the start of grain transport on the canal which falls on the first day of the third month on the Chinese Lunar Calender.
Attendees witnessed a vivid recreation of ancient cargo ships setting sail, symbolizing the canal's enduring role as a lifeline of trade and cultural exchange.
The launching ceremony unveiled the intellectual property (IP) of "Tongzhou on the Canal." This initiative aims to link over 100 key tourism and commercial hubs across the district, creating integrated cultural and tourism consumption routes.
Authorities also presented achievements in the Grand Canal-themed new audiovisual industry, leveraging digital innovation to revitalize traditional culture and highlight the waterway's historical significance.
Beyond the main venue, a variety of vibrant cultural activities have begun.
Centered around the Tongzhou section of the Grand Canal -- about 42 kilometers, a series of performances and experiential events are set to take place, including flower boat parades, intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, the Grand Canal singing and light show, and a digital photography exhibition on the river.
The event will last till May 5, the end of the five-day May Day Holiday.