浙東運河繊道, Ancient towpath system along Grand Canal in Zhejiang, China.
The Eastern Zhejiang Canal towpath (Yundao Tang, Guantang, Xindi) is a system of stone towing paths along the canal, nearly a hundred li long, found mainly in Xiaoshan in Hangzhou and in Keqiao, Yuecheng and Shangyu in Shaoxing. Paths run either along one bank or between water on both sides; the latter are solid stone embankments or stone-pier paths, with bridges at intervals for boats to pass, giving the name "White Jade Long Dyke". The best-preserved stretch, 7.5 km from Banqiao in Qianqing to Shangxieqiao in Keqiao, is a national protected site.
The towpath formed gradually after He Xun, interior secretary of Kuaiji in the Western Jin, cut the Xixing Canal. In 815, during the Tang Yuanhe era, inspector Meng Jian had it repaired on a large scale. Under the Ming Hongzhi emperor, Shanyin magistrate Li Liang replaced it with stone masonry, giving the towpath its present form.
The towpath reveals how workers once pulled boats through the waterway using ropes, a labor-intensive job that sustained regional trade for centuries. This work shaped daily life and communities along the canal for generations.
Multiple sections of the pathways are open to visitors and feature information boards explaining the towing process. Walking is easiest during drier periods when water levels are lower and the stone surfaces are less slippery.
The best-preserved stretch runs 7.5 km from Banqiao in Qianqing town to Shangxieqiao in Keqiao district, listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 1988. Where the path crosses open water on stone piers, bridges let boats pass, giving it the name "White Jade Long Causeway".
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