Grand Canal Cruise

The Grand Canal, also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, is the earliest and the longest artificial river in the world. The Canal is ten times the length of the Suez Canal, and 22 times that of the Panama Canal. It originates near Beijing in the north, and ends in Hangzhou, in the south. Six provinces and five river systems are connected by the canal. In history, the canal is the artery of communications between north and south. For over two thousand five hundred years, rich historical relic sights have been found along the river. Like the Great Wall, the canal is regarded as one of the two great projects of Chinese ancient time.

The Grand Canal is divided into seven parts with different names: Tonghui River (Beijing - Tong County), North Canal (Tong County - Tianjin), South Canal (southern Tianjin - Linqing, Shandong), Lu Canal (Linqing - Taierzhuang), Middle Canal (Taierzhuang - Huaiyin, Jiangsu), Li Canal (Huaiyin - Yangzhou), and finally, Jiangnan Canal (Zhenjiang - Hangzhou, Zhejiang).
 

Sceneries along each section of the canal are charming and worth visiting. However, the sceneries in Hangzhou are the most marvellous. Over 40 sights can be admired, including museums, parks, squares, temples, bridges and local residences etc. Get more information for the Grand Canal Scenery.
 

The most popular section to cruise on the Grand Canal is the section that passes through Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces. The first cruise line on the canal was launched in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province in the early 1980s, and has attracted numerous visitors worldwide. The line later expanded to more cities including Suzhou, Changzhou, Yangzhou and Hangzhou.

There are Cruise ships on the canal from Yangzhou to Suzhou. In Hangzhou section, there are hydro-busses leaving from different wharfs that offer visitors a chance to admire the canal  scenery in less than two hours. Get information about the Grand Canal Cruise Schedule.

Note: We are sorry that the booking service for this cruise is not available at present.