People by the Canal

In 2003, Dongjiang City established the Grand Canal Comprehensive Management Headquarters in order to revive the culture of the Grand Canal and help the Grand Canal be applied for World Heritage status. Lu Changhe, a grassroots cadre, was admitted to the headquarters under special circumstances. With the help of his teachers, friends, leaders, etc., Lu Changhe withstood the pressure and successfully coordinated the relocation of the Guangming Printing and Dyeing Factory, a major polluter, making a good start for the canal management. Soon, Lu Changhe discovered that a company secretly discharged sewage into the canal. After some competition, the company adopted Lu Changhe's suggestion and built a sewage treatment plant, which fundamentally solved the problem of sewage polluting the river. Lu Changhe has also invested in the relocation project of residents in the historical districts along the canal. He patiently communicated with the residents and finally made all the residents sign the relocation agreement with confidence. Since then, Lu Changhe has been working hard on the front line of canal management and devoted all his limited energy to the cause of canal revitalization. He successfully prevented the demolition of ancient buildings in the thousand-year-old town of Wuzhen and protected the thousand-year-old charm on both sides of the canal. At the 38th World Heritage Conference in 2014, the Grand Canal was successfully applied for World Heritage and was included in the World Heritage List.