Dug in 112 AD, the Fuxu Ancient Canal in Guangzhou’s Huangpu District is a historic man-made waterway linking the river and the sea, and served as a key inland passage for the ancient Maritime Silk Road into Guangzhou. Historic landmarks including the Nanhai God Temple, Ming and Qing-era wharf ruins and Nanwan Ancient Village line its course, holding a rich legacy of canal and port culture.

Recently, experts from urban planning, history, cultural tourism and other fields, together with Huangpu district authorities, held a seminar focusing on the canal’s historical value, conservation and integrated industrial, urban and cultural development.

A representative from a construction investment firm said creating beautiful waterfront public spaces paired with cultural excavation is in itself a way to activate and protect heritage. An architecture professor called for active participation in waterfront revitalization, starting with ecological belt construction to upgrade waterside spaces and landscapes.

Going forward, Huangpu will continue to unlock the thousand-year waterway’s contemporary value, exploring development paths centered on heritage revitalization, IP operation and integrated industrial, urban and cultural growth.