The Grand Canal of China is an artificial canal built earlier in the world, with the longest history of use, and with the largest space span. of Chinese culture.

The six-episode documentary "Song of the Grand Canal", jointly launched by the National Development and Reform Commission and China Central Radio and Television, will premiere on CCTV Documentary Channel (CCTV-9) at 8 o'clock every night from August 9.

"Song of the Grand Canal" poster

The documentary "Song of the Grand Canal" takes time as the axis, takes civilization creation, economic and social development, engineering wisdom, cultural influence and inheritance and utilization as the main story line, digs deep into the profound cultural value and spiritual connotation carried by the Grand Canal, and combines history and culture with Reality blends together, presenting the ever-growing Chinese culture.

The filming team went to Beijing, Tianjin, Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and other provinces and cities along the Grand Canal, visited the Sui and Tang Dynasties Grand Canal, Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, East Zhejiang Canal, Jiangnan Canal, etc. In-depth investigations have been carried out on relevant historical relics, water conservancy projects, social humanities, and future development along the line, and detailed investigations and research have also been carried out on key engineering projects for the protection, inheritance, and utilization of the canal, the existing intangible cultural heritage in the surrounding area, and folk customs.

Stills of "Song of the Grand Canal"

Walking into the past and present of the Grand Canal

The Grand Canal started in the Spring and Autumn Period, was completed in the Sui Dynasty, flourished in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, stopped sailing in the late Qing Dynasty, and revived in the present. In the thousand-year history of the Grand Canal, the continuity of Chinese civilization has been fully reflected.

In order to better present the history of the Grand Canal, the documentary "Song of the Grand Canal" has made new explorations and attempts in the narrative method, looking back at history based on realistic scenes, taking exploration and search as the main line of action, and following relevant stories in various fields. Experts, enter the places related to the canal, make full use of the rich cultural relics and cultural resources, let the cultural relics speak, let the history speak, and let the culture speak.

Stills of "Song of the Grand Canal"

Look for the first imprint of the canal on Taibodu, the first canal with documented records in my country;

Stills of "Song of the Grand Canal"

Beside the Lingqu Canal, the canal dug under the order of Qin Shihuang, witness the historical moment when the Lingnan area entered the territory of the Central Plains dynasty for the first time;

Marvel at the engineering miracles created by the Sui and Tang Grand Canals along the Yongji Canal, Tongji Canal, Shanyangdu and Jiangnan Canals;

Feel the vitality and prosperity brought by the canal to the cities of the Song Dynasty in "A Picture of Shanghe During the Qingming Festival"; look for the hidden waterway that contains the wisdom of the ancients 700 years ago at the former site of Baifuquan...

Reveal the new glory of the canal culture

This is a river of space extending on the earth, a river of time passing through ancient and modern times, and a river of people closely related to life. How to combine the thickness of history, the breadth of the times and the depth of reality in the process of telling the story of the Grand Canal? The documentary "Song of the Grand Canal" made a variety of explorations.

Stills of "Song of the Grand Canal"

From the perspective of narrative, the film interprets the value connotation of the canal from multiple dimensions such as history, geography, water conservancy, politics, culture, and social life, and incorporates an international perspective to explore the important influence of the Grand Canal on trade and cultural exchanges between the East and the West. Fill in the audience's cognition gap for the Grand Canal with substantial and rich information.

On the narrative carrier, in addition to expert interpretation and interviews with relevant figures, various precious archaeological materials and cultural relics have also become storytellers, adding a strong sense of history to the film. Group attention and love.

The film crew also communicated with the general counsel—Ge Jianxiong, a member of the Social Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and a professor at the Institute of Chinese Historical Geography at Fudan University; Li Quan, a professor at the Institute of Canal Studies at Liaocheng University; Qi Xin, Zhang Xingzhao, Xu Zechen, Zhang Jin, Gao Yuanjie and other experts in related fields conducted multiple rounds of demonstrations on the script to ensure the professionalism and appropriateness of the theme content. The interpretation of experts from all walks of life also provided the audience with a better understanding of the history of the canal and the culture of the canal A solid foundation has been laid.

Stills of "Song of the Grand Canal"

In terms of form of expression, the film uses a combination of live-scene shooting and animation production to closely combine history and reality, restore the scene of water transportation in a relaxed and lively atmosphere, and tell the story of the canal. At the same time, a series of digital animation maps are more The route and shipping network of the Grand Canal are clearly presented, which is easier for the audience to understand.

The Grand Canal of China flows the Chinese culture, inherits the Chinese context, contains the national spirit, and activates the development of the times.