Grand Canal set for World Heritage listing  

8个省市联合发起 “中国大运河”申遗进入倒计时

随着“中国大运河”河北段启动4处遗产点的加固修缮工程，这也预示着涉及中国8省市的大运河联合申遗进入最后倒计时阶段。

Shijiazhuang (CNS) -- Renovation of the Hebei Province section of the Grand Canal has been completed, and we are now counting down to a joint application for a World Heritage listing by eight provinces, Zhang Lifang, director of the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics, said Monday.

The Grand Canal, also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, is the longest and oldest artificial river in the world. Starting in Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou.

35 cities in the eight provinces will jointly submit the application to UNESCO for a preview. All preparation work is scheduled to receive expert assessment by August 2013.