Heritage with Related Tags
The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is a vast system of waterways in the northeastern and east-central plains of China, stretching from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang Province in the south. The Grand Canal was built in sections beginning in the fifth century BC and was first conceived as a unified means of transportation for the empire in the seventh century AD (during the Sui Dynasty). This resulted in a series of huge construction sites, creating the largest and most extensive civil engineering project in the world before the Industrial Revolution. It formed the backbone of the empire's inland transportation system, transporting food and strategic raw materials, and providing rice to feed the people. By the 13th century, it consisted of more than 2,000 kilometers of artificial waterways, connecting the basins of China's five major rivers. It played an important role in ensuring the country's economic prosperity and stability, and remains a major means of transportation to this day.
Classical Weimar
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Thuringian town of Weimar experienced a cultural boom, attracting many writers and scholars, most notably Goethe and Schiller. The high quality of the many buildings and parks in the surrounding area reflects this development.
Historic Centre of Urbino
The small hill town of Urbino in the Marche region experienced a cultural boom in the 15th century, attracting artists and scholars from all over Italy and beyond, and influencing cultural developments in the rest of Europe. Due to economic and cultural stagnation since the 16th century, it still largely retains its Renaissance appearance.
Shengfang Ancient Town
Shengfang was developed from an ancient fishing village. After the great immigration in the early Ming Dynasty, the population of Shengfang increased rapidly, and merchants and shops gathered there. It quickly developed into a major commercial and cultural town in North China. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was very prosperous and rich. There is a saying that "there are Suzhou and Hangzhou in the south, and Shengfang in the north". The Wen'an County Chronicles states: "... Shengfang is the most prosperous city in Wenyi. There are many sails on the water, and there are noisy carriages and horses on the land. There are all kinds of goods and merchants. It is listed as one of the six towns in Zhili."