The Grand Canal's Splendor Over 3,000 Years: Listen to a Tune of "Changzhou Ballad"

Changzhou locals often say, "When Suzhou and Huzhou have a good harvest, the whole country has enough." This canal-side granary of the south blends the fragrance of rice and wheat into the lively atmosphere of its streets. The lyrics of "Changzhou Ballad" incorporate famous historical sites and intangible cultural heritage of Changzhou. In the early morning in Qingguo Alley, bamboo-pressed noodles dance on the counter of the silver noodle shop, and the hair-thin noodles falling into boiling water resemble the Grand Canal flowing through the alley for thousands of years. The morning bell of Tianning Temple breaks through the mist, and monks carry vegetarian meals through the corridors. On the canal side, Bizhi Alley still retains the ancient scene of "Bizhi Lights," where old artisans carve patterns of fish leaping over the dragon gate on boxwood. This city, with the canal as its lifeblood, is like a freshly risen cake made from old dough, preserving the essence of wheat while embracing the spirit of the times. As the Changzhou proverb says, "The thousand-year-old Grand Canal flows with living water." The new stories of the old city ripple outwards along the water.