Su Shi once described the style of the Yellow River in graceful words: "The yellow building is ten zhang high, and a five-zhang flag is built below." Chushan is a city, and Surabaya is a pool. This poem not only conveys the threat of the Yellow River to Xuzhou, but also highlights the importance of Xuzhou's geographical location. Located in the middle of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Yellow River meets the canal here, making Xuzhou an important shipping node on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in the Ming and Qing dynasties, prosperous and an important commercial port.
Recently, the 5th Grand Canal Cultural Belt Construction Think Tank Summit hosted by the Grand Canal Cultural Belt Construction Research Institute was held in Xuzhou. Experts and scholars from along the Grand Canal gathered together to discuss the theme of "building and making good use of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park and prospering and developing the modern civilization of the Chinese nation". This indicates that Xuzhou, with its long history and unique cultural resources, actively participates in the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt and contributes to the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization.
The Grand Canal, as a symbol of China's long civilization, has flowed for 2,500 years and is an important part of China's excellent traditional culture. Xia Jinwen, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the Jiangsu Academy of Social Sciences and President of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt Construction Research Institute, said at the opening ceremony that the existence of the Grand Canal has changed the flow of China's natural rivers from west to east, creating convenience for north-south exchanges. From the Sui Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, and then to the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Grand Canal became an important artery to maintain national unity, promoting regional cooperation and social stability.
At the summit, experts and scholars conducted in-depth discussions on the history, culture and tourism development of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt. They believe that the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park has injected new vitality into the prosperity and development of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. Xu Xiaoguang, a distinguished professor at Jiangsu Normal University, described the close relationship between people, land and water in the Grand Canal from an anthropological perspective. Representatives from various provinces and cities shared their practical experience in the protection and construction of the Grand Canal, and looked forward to the future development path.
The Grand Canal Cultural Belt Construction Research Institute holds a think tank summit every year, aiming to provide a communication platform for cultural researchers of the Grand Canal and promote the construction of the cultural belt. Over the past five years, the summit has become an academic event for scholars to conduct in-depth research and stimulate wisdom. This year's Xuzhou Summit once again focused on the inheritance and development of the Grand Canal culture, contributing new wisdom and strength to the prosperity of Chinese civilization.