Wuxi city hosts its first Grand Canal Cultural Festival in Huishan Ancient Town on Sept 28. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wuxi city hosted its first Grand Canal Cultural Festival in Huishan Ancient Town on Sept 28, promoting culture and tourism along the ancient canal.

A series of events will run until October, including a seminar on Grand Canal culture and life, opera performances in gardens, readings and exhibitions.

The Grand Canal, an ancient water conservation project, is the world's earliest, longest and largest canal.

It has a length of 2,700 kilometers and was the main waterway for ancient China's north-south traffic. It passes through a total of eight provinces and municipalities.

This year's annual chrysanthemum exhibition in Huishan Ancient Town displays over 600 kinds of chrysanthemum. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wuxi has been working on promoting ecological, cultural and tourism development along the waterway for years. The Wuxi section of the Grand Canal is the first recorded section of the Jiangnan Canal, which is known as the mother river of the city.

Jiang Yunjie, director of the Wuxi Cultural Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, said the festival is expected to integrate Grand Canal culture with people's daily lives.

The 2019 Wuxi Reading and Cultural Products Exhibition was also launched as part of the festival.

Over 3,000 books are being provided inside Huishan Ancient Town, inviting people to learn about the city, the Grand Canal and other kinds of culture during their tour.

A seminar is held discussing Grand Canal culture and life on Sept 28. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]