The Chinese Grand Canal in the eyes of a former ambassador to China: a new model of infrastructure to help sustainable development

The "Grand Canal Cultural Lecture Hall" is about to start on August 5th, and the intersection news will be exclusively presenting the exclusive views of experts and scholars in the canal field at home and abroad and representative of the canal city. Today, we came to listen to the voice of the former ambassador to China and the well -known scholars in Nanjing University.

What is the Grand Canal in your heart?

In 1997, the former Belgian ambassador to China Patrick Na came to work in Shanghai and began to contact and learn from the long -term Chinese culture. He was curious and interested in the Chinese Grand Canal with a history of more than 2000 years. He was invited to participate in the 2022 World Canal City Forum held in Yangzhou, Jiangsu in June this year. Talking about the Grand Canal in my mind, Patrick Nona admitted: "This is one of the most interesting achievements in the field of public engineering, and the longest canal in the world. It can be said to show an interesting model of how an infrastructure helps develops." He believes that the Chinese Grand Canal can also be used in environmental protection and other aspects, and can help promote sustainable development.

For Wei Xiangqing, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Foreign Languages ​​of Nanjing University, Wei Xiangqing, director of the Bilingual Research Center of Nanjing University, the Grand Canal is an endless and agile river that passes through Yangzhou in his hometown, bringing vitality to the city.

What is the biggest charm of the canal in your eyes?

Entrusted by the World Canal Historical and Cultural Urban Cooperation Organization (WCCO), Wei Xiangqing led the team to compile the "World Canal Dictionary", including about 1,100 world known canals and 68 major canals in the world, with a total length of 1.17 million words. The canal dictionary, which is systematically sorted out, is also the first bilingual canal dictionary. To complete such a very professional work, not only requires the accumulation of deep Canal cultural knowledge, but also cannot be separated from the love of the canal. "As a cultural heritage, the canal is a living inheritance. Its greatest charm is closely related to our lives." Wei Xiangqing, who grew up by the canal, sneaked that the canal gives to the people who "born in Sri Lanka, growing in Sriors". Thinking brings an innovative inspiration that never exhausted.

What are the good suggestions for inheriting the canal culture?

Regarding the inheritance, Wei Xiangqing believed that it should be grasped from the doll and carefully learn about the canal culture related knowledge. "Let them understand why we dig this canal in the past, how we can promote the spirit of the canal in the future. From cultural self -knowledge to cultural self -confidence, I think it is the most important thing." Wei Xiangqing said.

Xinhua Daily · Jiaojiao Reporter Zong Qi Wang Yuemou Jiao Xianying

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