Guided by the philosophy that clean waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver, Zaozhuang in East China's Shandong province has carried out holistic conservation and systematic governance of the Grand Canal in recent years.

The city has constructed a canal landscape scenery belt that includes a wetland park, an ancient canal town, and other tourism and cultural facilities in order to provide a destination appropriate for living, working, and traveling with natural ecological vitality for both local residents and tourists.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, one of the oldest canals in the world, winds through Zaozhuang and has become an icon of local culture, connecting various heritage sites in the city.

An aerial photo taken on April 18 shows the vibrant spring scenery along the Zaozhuang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Zaozhuang continues to launch a slew of measures to promote ecological conservation and cultural heritage sites along the ancient Grand Canal. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Taierzhuang ancient town in Zaozhuang is located on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The two-square-kilometer town makes for a nice day trip. [Photo/Dazhong News]

The Zaozhuang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The canal stretches nearly 3,200 kilometers and passes through six of the country's provinces and municipalities. [Photo/Dazhong News]

The Grand Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and used to be a major transportation artery running through ancient China, with a history that dates back some 2,500 years. [Photo/Dazhong News]

The Grand Canal winds through forests and fields in Zaozhuang, Shandong province. [Photo/Dazhong News]