Companion piece for Northward / Beishang

1. General information

Chinese title :   北上  [Běishàng]

International title :  Northward

Author

Xú Zéchén  徐则臣

• 2019 - 10th Mao Dun Literature Prize for "Northward" (北上)
  
• 2016 - 1st Cross-Strait Young Writers Prize for "Jerusalem"
• 2015 - Nominated for the 9th Mao Dun Literature Prize for "Jerusalem"
• 2014 -  Lao She Literary Award for "Jerusalem"
• 2014 - Short Story Award of the 7th Lu Xun Literary Prize for If A Snowstorm Seals the Door

Note: The novel starts very differently from the drama which is more in the manner of a variation than just an adaptation. Both may be enjoyed as different stories. It can be read in English here (translation is a bit unsure, so my guess is the Italian's name was Paolo DiMarco...)

2025 TV series CREW :

DIRECTORS Yáo Xiǎofēng    姚晓峰 b.1969 Main Director  (总导演  zǒng dǎoyǎn) Since 2008, he directed 22+ dramas, including 2024 War of Faith and Tender Light.

Yao Xiaofeng's comment for CCTV3 about the drama :

Art Director : Wáng Xiángyǔ 王翔宇 Costume and styling designers:     Zhāng Yǔ  张雨     Lǚ Fèngshān  吕凤珊     Zhèng Jūnjiàn 郑军见

• Xuē Jìjūn   薛继军

Co-producers （联合出品人） :

• Gōng Yǔ  龚宇
• Yáo Xiǎofēng 姚晓峰
• Yè Biāoróng  叶飚荣
• Yáng Tiānyì   杨天翼
• Wáng Guófēng  王国丰
• Shào Zhènggāng  邵正刚
• Mì Dá  宓达
• Qí Tāo   亓涛

Co-directors（联合导演  liánhé dǎoyǎn) Zhōu Nán  周楠 b.1983 Since 2011, he directed 6 dramas, including 2021 Dear Diary. Lǐ Níng 李宁 young director and director of the variety show channel of CCTV, in charge of the 2017 CNY Gala.

Chief screenwriter    (with author) Zhào Dōnglíng  赵冬苓 b.1953 She has written for 25+ dramas since 2008 including 2022  Ordinary Greatness

Zhào Dōnglíng 's comment for CCTV3 about the drama : " I too, grew up on the banks of the Grand Canal..."

• 王梦迪（导演助理) / Wáng Mèngdí   (Assistant Director)
• 罗美玲（联合导演助理） Luó Měilíng  (Co-Director Assistant)

Airing from March  3, 2025  to March 26 (express packet release) -   Original Network:  CCTV,  iQIYI 

can also be watched on the iQIYI channel of Youtube

38 episodes x45 mins -  iQIYI added some "Behind the scenes" footage which can be watched on  the app. and for some, also on YouTube.

• BTS1 ("Songs and dances" 1'11), 
• BTS2 ("Xià Fènghuá teasing Xiè Wànghé, water fight" 1'19), 
• BTS3 ("XFH and XWH  taking a basketball game break between shots"  1'04), 
• BTS4 ("Fènghuá and Wànghé in confrontation" 1'01), 
• BTS5 ("Wànghé and Xīngchí's drunken personalities" 1'), 
• BTS6 ("Wànghé's driving skills vs Fènghuá's driving skills" 1'04) 

Opening Credits

More BTS compilation, posted to Youtube. 9'57 : "The Story of youth unfolds on the street corner"  (click on title to view)

And a summary edit with Chinese and English subtitles 3hrs28'07 on YouTube, posted by iQIYI on March 30,2025

Drama WeiboOther pages :  Douban ; Baidu Baike

3.  Music (OST, Bgm, singers etc)

Dù Lìniáng 杜丽娘 the 17 year old heroine of The Peony Pavilion (video linked for song)

2. ep.7, 23:12, two lines of 《游园惊梦》aka Zào luó páo 皂罗袍 from the famous Chinese opera The Peony Pavilion (Mǔdān tíng 牡丹亭) sung by Grandma Mǎ  at the breakfast stall before her voice breaks. The words of Dù Lìniáng 杜丽娘  start with 原来姹紫嫣红开遍 似这般都付与断井颓垣  良辰美景奈何天 [Yuánlái chàzǐyānhóng kāi biàn Sì zhè bān dōu fùyǔ duànjǐng-tuīyu Liángchén-měijǐng nàihé tiān] "Most flowers already bloom in bright purple and vivid scarlet. Yet to dilapidated wall and crumbling wall, all such splendor is abandoned. How to enjoy myself in this glorious scenic garden?  ..." (translations vary from literal to implied since poetry often can't be translated word for word.). Also named "The Return of Soul at the Peony Pavilion", this is a romantic tragicomedy play written by dramatist Tāng Xiǎnzǔ 汤显祖 in 1598. (Read the story on the description linked to the opera title, listen to the performance by master kūnqǔ 昆曲 opera singerr Zhāng Jìqīng  张继青 linked to Chinese title of the song above, and to the staged full aria (from 0:55 after the intro) .

5. ep.11, 42:25 and ep13, 05:29 a píngtán 评弹 style version of the famous poem "Night Mooring on the Maple Bridge" by Tang poet Zhāng Jì 张继 can be heard ; I did not find a corresponding recording, but my GIF below shows a statue of Zhāng Jì in front of the bridge and the Hánshān sì  寒山寺 "cold hill temple" which is a landmark of Sūzhōu, and the text of the poem (click on GIF for better view and recording).  It can be heard again in ep.21, 13:47, and again, later.

6. Just like you .《#和你一样》a song by Chris Lee 李宇春 , released  April 29, 2008. It is heard in ep.28,  29:29 first sung by Xià Fènghuá (Bái Lù) in the car bringing the group back to Běijīng after their visit to Hónghuái for Mid-autumn festival, and next, as bgm for their busy work in the capital.  

Instrumental background music tunes from Zhāng Yìlín 张镒麟 were released on the 19 videos in the list to the right, posted by Tencent on Youtube, March 10, 2025: 

1. Flower Street 花街 ; 
2. Grandma Ma's Memories 马奶奶的回忆  ;  
3. Childhood and Fairy tales  童年和童话 ;
4. A Little Bad  有点坏  ;
5. Naughty 调皮捣蛋  ;  
6. Boss Xiè and his boat 谢老大和船 ;
7. Difficult 为难 ;  
8. Uneasy 忐忑不安 ;  
9. Emotional conflict · 情感冲突   ;  
10. Pain 伤痛 ;  
11. Canal Water 运河水 ; 
12. Growing up with Water  水之成长 ;
13. The decision of Director Yao and Master Zhang 北上主题之姚导和张师傅的决定 ;  
14. Time to go back 回不去的时间 ; 
15. Feeling hope 感怀希望  ;
16. Young and youthful  青春和青春 ;  
17. Hahaha 哈哈哈 ;
18. Change 转变 ;  
19. Special occurrence 特殊发生 

5. Characters and cast by order of Appearance (1)

Ep1

ep.2

7. Characters and cast by order of Appearance (3)

ep.20

ep.21

ep.22

ep.23

9.   Places of interest in the drama

1. The Grand Canal (maps and history)
2. Wúxī and Lake Tài  (the story of Northward starts at the ancient gates of Wúxī)
3. Sūzhōu, Kūnshān, Bāchéng  town
4. Běijīng, Tōngzhōu
5. Línqīng (only mentioned in the drama, as the home town of "Granny Ma"  and the place where "Boss Xiè" sent his boat to be sold. 

ep.26 - 01:41 : Newsreel snippet of the adding of the Grand Canal to UNESCO World Heritage list.

Although the process started already in 2003, a lot of work was made until the Grand Canal of China was inscribed on the World Heritage List during the 38th World Heritage Conference in June 2014 in Doha. Further than just recognizing the value of the construction, "overall protection, heritage and utilization are key themes associated with the Grand Canal National Cultural Park. The relationship between cultural heritage conservation and sustainable development must be managed with environmental, social and economic considerations in mind." The scope of these areas is illustrated in the maps below :The main canal stretches over 1,800 km/1,100 miles from the city of Běijīng 北京 to the city of Hángzhōu 杭州. It is sometimes called the Běijīng-Hángzhōu Canal. Besides connecting these two major cities, the canal also connects the two major rivers of China: the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. It is the world's longest constructed waterway, though, strictly speaking, not all of it is a canal.

It was built to enable successive Chinese governments to transport surplus grain from the agriculturally rich Yangtze /Chángjiāng 长江 and Huáihé 淮河  river valleys to feed the capital cities and large standing armies in northern China. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The oldest part of the canal lies between the Yangtze and the city of Huáiyīn 淮阴 (formerly called Qīngjiāng 清江) in Jiāngsū province, which was originally on the Huánghé 黄河  (Yellow River) when that river followed a course much farther to the south. This section, traditionally known as the Shānyáng Canal 山阳运河, has been called in recent centuries the Southern Grand Canal (Nán Yùnhé 南运河). This ancient waterway was first constructed as early as the 4th century BC. It was rebuilt in 607, and has been used ever since.

From The Rise and Fall of the Grand Canal, [Fig. 3. The Grand Canal of the Suí Dynasty went through five river systems in China. Biànzhōu 汴州  (Kāifēng 开封) was located in the main center of the Grand Canal. (Source: https://www.sohu.com/a/237075031_580908, accessed on 2 July 2021). ]

The Biàn canal ["Original Luòyáng branch" on the map] : China’s first great canal system, which created a northeast-southwest link from the Huánghé 黄河 (Yellow river) to the Huáihé 淮河 River, was built beginning in 605 during the Suí dynasty (581–618): it remained the chief waterway throughout the Táng period (618–907) and the Northern Sòng period (960–1125/26).

During the Táng and subsequent dynasties era, the capital was in other cities (Cháng'ān, Luòyáng, Nánjīng...) After Běijīng  became once more the seat of government in 1403 in the Ming dynasty, the whole Canal—including the section from Línqīng on the Wei to its junction with the  Huánghé 黄河 (Yellow river), which was dredged and repaired—remained in operation until the 19th century. It comprised six main sections:

• (1) Běijīng 北京 to  Tōngzhōu 通州 , a short stretch
  
• (2) Hai River to Tiānjīn 天津, Wei River to Línqīng 临清,  ("North River"/ South River")
• (3) Línqīng 临清 to Jìníng 济宁 on high ground, falling to a point near Xúzhōu 徐州, a difficult stretch using a series of dams, sluices, and locks  ("Lù Canal")
  
• (4) Xúzhōu 徐州 to Huáiyīn 淮阴, along the Huánghé 黄河   ("Middle Canal")
  
• (5) Huáiyīn 淮阴 to Zhènjiāng 镇江 along the ancient Shānyáng Canal ("Lǐ Canal", blue rectangle on the first map)
• (6) the Jiāngnán Yùnhé 江南运河("Jiāngnán Canal"),  for some 320 km (200 miles) via Sūzhōu to Hángzhōu

In the 19th century a series of disastrous floods and political unrest (Tàipíng Rebellion 1850–64;  Niǎn Luàn Rebellion 1853–68),  caused the use of the Canal as the major supply line to Běijīng to be abandoned. The Canal gradually fell into disrepair in its northern sections. After 1934 the Chinese government carried out extensive works on the Canal between Huáiyīn and the Yangtze. Ship locks were constructed to allow medium-sized steamers to use this section, which was dredged and largely rebuilt.

Other sketch map, posted by  Groverlynn on Wikipedia [Brook (1998), 50., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51142376] :

The main towns on its shore are  Wúxī 无锡 and Sūzhōu, which has famous landmarks such as the world renowned gardens, but also the "Star of Lake Tài" (a giant, 115-meter/377 ft) ferris wheel, completed in 2008. It takes 18 minutes to complete one revolution, and passengers can enjoy the scenery of Lake Tài and the view on Sūzhōu city center. At night, lighting effects are switched on around the wheel.

Wúxī was the ancient capital of Wú State  for 600 years including the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BCE).  The history of Wúxī 无锡  can be traced back to Shāng dynasty (1600–1046 BC). The tin industry thrived in the area in ancient times but it was eventually depleted, so that when Wúxī was established in 202 BCE during the Han dynasty, it was named "Wúxī" (the capital of Wú commandery). Administratively, Wúxī became a district of Biling (later Chángzhōu) and only during the Yuán dynasty (1206–1368) did it become an independent prefecture. Wúxī and Chángzhōu are considered to be the birthplaces of modern industrialization in China.

Lake Tài   (太湖 Tàihu), is the third largest freshwater lake in China (after Póyáng Hú 鄱阳湖 in Jiangxi and Dòngtíng Hú 洞庭湖 in Hunan). The lake is in Jiāngsū province with part of the southern shore bordering Zhèjiāng province. It has an area of 2,250 square kilometers (869 sq mi) and an average depth of 2 meters (6.6 ft), which has scientific theory explain it by a formation through a meteor air burst high in the air, in prehistoric times, explaining its shallowness; it was dry then, but the growing deltas of the Yangtze and Qiantang rivers eventually sealed off Lake Tai from the sea, and the influx of fresh water from rivers and rains turned it into a freshwater lake.

Lake Tai contains about 90 islands, ranging in size from a few square meters to several square kilometers. Three of those are preserved as a national geological park under the name Sanshan (三山岛),  which were opened to tourists in the mid-1980s. They are said to have been a former haunt of local bandits!

 It is linked to the Grand Canal and is the origin of a number of rivers, including the Suzhou Creek. There are limestone formations at the foot of the adjacent Dongting Mountain (洞庭山). These "scholar's rocks" or "Taihu stones" are often prized as a decorating material for traditional Chinese gardens, as exemplified by those preserved in nearby Suzhou.  The Plum garden Méi Yuán 梅园)  is also located on the banks of Lake Tai, along with the peninsula Yuán tóu zhǔ 鼋头渚, which received its name ("Turtle Head Isle") from the shape of its outline. Tourist ferries leave from Yuantouzhu to the Sanshan Islands, accompanied by seagulls.  The Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort is situated on the southern shore of the lake.

The lake is known for its productive fishing industry (of fish and freshwater hairy crabs) and is often covered by fleets of small private fishing boats. Since the late 1970s, harvesting food products such as fish and crabs has been invaluable to people living along the lake and has contributed significantly to the economy of the surrounding area. Furthermore, the lake is home to an extensive ceramic industry, including the Yixing pottery factory, which produces Yixing clay teapots.

The city was founded in 514 BC by the ruler of the state of Wú  during the Spring and Autumn (Chūnqiū) period (770–476 bce) of the Eastern Zhōu  dynasty. Under the Qín  dynasty (221–207 BC) it became the seat of a county, Wúxian, and of the Kuaiji commandery, which controlled most of present-day Jiāngsū and  Zhèjiāng provinces. The name Sūzhōu dates from 589, when the Suí  dynasty (581–618) conquered southern China.

With the building of the Grand Canal, Sūzhōu  became an administrative and commercial centre for an area that rapidly developed into the major rice-surplus region of China. Under the Sòng (960–1279) and the Yuán  (1206–1368) dynasties, Sūzhōu continued to flourish. In the 13th century the Venetian traveler Marco Polo visited it and commented on its splendors. Wúsōng River and Sūzhōu Creek gave the city direct access to the sea, and for a while Sūzhōu was a port for foreign shipping, until the silting of the Yangtze River delta and the irrigation and reclamation works that went on continually impeded access. Under the Míng  (1368–1644) and early Qīng  (1644–1911/12) dynasties, Sūzhōu reached the peak of its prosperity. The home of many wealthy landowning families, it became a center for scholarship and the arts. Sources of the city’s wealth included the silk industry and embroidery. It also served as an important source of commercial capital and a finance and banking center.

The Kūnshān New and Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone was founded in 1994 in and got its current name in 2006. It became the first national-level high-tech zone based in a county-level city in China in 2010.

It has been listed as a pilot park of national science and technology service system construction. It has also been named a national intellectual property demonstration park, a national overseas high-level talent innovation and entrepreneurship base, a national innovative talent training demonstration base and a national ecological industry demonstration park.

Since there are many Taiwanese people who stay in Kūnshān for business and work, the local area is nicknamed "Little Táipěi" 小台北!

Because it is close to Shànghǎi, the national economic and technological development zone established in the area has attracted a large number of Taiwanese and foreign-funded enterprises to invest and build factories since the 1990s. Among them, the more well-known ones are: 

• Táizhǎn Group 展集團, 
• Nánbǎo Resin 南寶樹脂, 
• Wéijūn Electronics 唯君電子 [Wéijūn diànzǐ], 
• Giant Bicycle 捷安特自行車 [jié'āntè zìxíngchē], 
• Wēijīng Group 威京集團, 
• ASE Group 日月光集團, 
• Wēijīng Group 威京集團, 
• ASE Group 日月光集團,

• Foxconn Technology Group 富士康科技集團 [fùshìkāng kējì jítuán], famous maker of electronic products for major American, Canadian (Blackberry, iPhones, Google Pixel, Cisco, Kindle), Chinese (Xiaomi), Finnish (Nokia), and Japanese companies (Sony, Nintendo), + CPU sockets. As of 2012, Foxconn factories manufactured an estimated 40% of all consumer electronics sold worldwide. in 2016, Foxconn's factory in Kūnshān switched to robotics technology, and the number of employees decreased from 110,000 to 50,000.
• Zhèngwén Technology Group 正文科技集團, 
• Nányà Electronics 南亚电子,  
• Compal Computer 仁宝电脑 [rénbǎo diànnǎo], 
• XīnXìng Electronics 欣兴电子 
• Wistron 纬创资通 [wěichuàng zītōng] the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer which was the manufacturing arm of Acer Inc.
• MiTAC Computer 神達電腦 [shéndá diànnǎo], 
• Genuine Electronics 正崴科技 [zhèng wǎi kējì], 
• Shimano 禧玛诺 [xǐmǎnuò,], the famous Japanese bicycle and cycling components, also maker of fishing tackle and rowing equipment.
• Cody Refrigeration Equipment 科迪制冷设备 [kē dí zhìlěng shèbèi], 
• Lúnfēi  Computer 伦飞电脑, 
• Clevo Computer 蓝天电脑 [lántiān diànnǎo], 
• Jīnhào Group 今皓集團, 
• Pegatron 聯合科技 [liánhé kējì], the Taiwanese electronics products manufacturer, maker of  notebooks, netbook and desktop computers, game consoles, handheld devices, motherboards, video cards and LCD TVs, as well as broadband communication products such as smartphones...

Kūnshān has several townships under its jurisdiction : 

"Ten eyed" Bridge of Jǐnxī town

In order to preserve this precious cultural memory, the Kūnqǔ opera academy serves not only as a place to appreciate and study Kūnqǔ Opera public performances, but also as a venue for tea ceremonies and enjoying tea while listening to music. 

It was the model for "Flower Street" (花街 Huājiē)  in the novel and drama. With the TV series "Go North" being broadcast on CCTV, the tourists flocking to "Bāchéng Old Street" exceeded 50,000 in the last weekend of March, a year-on-year increase of 650%. 

"Bāchéng Ancient Street" is located in the center of Bāchéng Town which is mainly composed of main streets, small streets, East Main Street, alleys, Sheng Jia Pang, and Shi Qiao Gang, covering a core area of 47,200 square meters. 

The old main street  is about 280 meters long from east to west and less than 2 meters wide. The street is paved with stone slabs and is so narrow and long that it is known as “One-Line-Sky”. Late Qīng dynasty and early Republic period ancient buildings stand along the streets, with characteristic features of ancient Jiāngnán water towns. 

The Bāchéng Historical and Cultural Exhibition Center groups together a museum, a gathering area of famous studios for Kūnqǔ artists, a leisure business district with a Kūnqǔ theme, and a Kūnqǔ cultural tour corridor. There is a Kūnqǔ Grand Theater, Kūnqǔ performance stage, specialty dining, homestays, shopping, and other functional facilities.  There are picturesque "moon bridges" and a covered bridge.

Bái Lù's parents toured Bāchéng on April 28-29, 2025 (her dad was carrying her dog NiánNián)

Bāchéng Ancient Street has now become an essential part of the Bāchéng Yángchéng Lake 阳澄湖 Scenic Area, famous for its freshwater hairy crab fishing, still a prized delicacy from Mid-Autumn festival to Chinese New Year festival. 

View from the Wànníng Bridge over the Grand Canal in Běijīng (Wikipedia, EditQ )

Among the Grand Canal's 58 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China, two are situated in Běijīng, namely Chéngqīng Upper Lock Gate (Wànníng Bridge  万宁桥 Wànníng qiáo) and Chéngqīng Middle Lock Gate (Dōngbùyā Bridge 东不压桥).

Wànníng Bridge over the Grand Canal in Běijīng .

"Water control beast" sculptures hang over the edge on both sides of the canal

Shíchàhǎi <--    Old Beijing City Section of Tonghui Canal (1443bis-022)

Chéngqīng 澄清 Upper Lock Gate is located west of Wànníng Bridge in Xīchéng  District 西城区, Běijīng. It was built in the late 13th century (early years of the Yuán Dynasty) to regulate the water level of the Tōnghuì River (see below), making it easier for ships to enter and exit Shíchàhǎi 什剎海 (meaning "lake of ten temples"). Although the gate is no longer in use, Wànníng Bridge to its east still serves as a transportation bridge and the entrance for the Tōnghuì River into Shíchàhǎi. It once played a crucial role in ensuring the supply of grain to Yuán Dàdū 元大都 (Běijīng) during the Yuán Dynasty, and therefore stands as a tangible reminder of Běijīng's history of water transportation.

Chéngqīng zhōng zhá 澄清中闸 /Chéngqīng Middle Lock Gate (Dōngbùyā qiáo Bridge  东不压桥, meaning "East Non-pressure Bridge" ), located near the northern end of today's Píng'ān Street, was built during the Míng Dynasty in 1420. It served as a crucial passage for canal boats traveling to the terminal dock at Shíchàhǎi. However, with the expansion of the outer wall of the Imperial City of the Míng Dynasty, Chéngqīng Middle Lock Gate fell into disuse, and now exists only as a relic. During the early years of the Republic of China era, it was demolished along with the dismantling of the walls of the old Imperial City. To the south of the gate lies Dōngbùyā Bridge, which dates back to the Yuán Dynasty or earlier and is now in a state of ruins.

In the 1950s, the waterway was buried underground and hutongs were constructed nearby, including Dōngbùyāqiáo hútòng 东不压桥胡同 which was once the north-south part of the old waterway. Starting in 2007, several relevant municipal authorities of Běijīng carried out archaeological excavations and reconstruction work. As a result, around 770 meters of the ancient path of the Yùhé River 玉河 were restored, stretching from Dōngbùyā Bridge at Dì’ānmén East Street in the south to Wànníng Bridge at Dì’ānmén Outer Street 地安门外大街 [Dì’ānmén wài dàjiē] in the north. The restored path has been presented to the public anew.

The Tōnghuì River 通惠河 [Tōnghuì hé]  is located in the east of Běijīng. It was dug and built by Guō Shǒujìng  郭守敬, starting in 1292, the 29th year of the Yuán Dynasty and was completed a year later.  When the fleet sailed to Jīshuǐtán in the capital city, showing the spectacular sight of "boats covering the water", Kublai Khan 元世祖忽必烈  [Yuán shìzǔ hūbìliè], the founder of the Yuán Dynasty, was delighted and named it Tōnghuì River.

Since then, the Tōnghuì River has become an economic lifeline for Beijing. In the early days, the Tōnghuì River flowed eastward from Shenshan Spring/ 白浮泉 [Báifú quán]  in Báifú cūn Village 白浮村, Chāngpíng County 昌平区, through Wèngshānbō 瓮山泊 (now Kūnmíng Lake 昆明湖) to Jīshuǐtán and Zhōngnánhǎi, from Wénmíngmén 文明门 (now Chóngwénmén 崇文门) to the east, turned southeast at Yángzhácūn Village 杨闸村 (in today's Chāoyáng District), and entered the Lù hé River 潞河 (now the old road of the North Canal) in Tōngzhōu Gāolízhuāng 高丽庄 (now Zhāngjiāwāncūn Village 张家湾村), Tōngzhōu. The river from Wèngshānbō Lake to Jīshuǐtán was called the Gāoliáng hé River 高梁河 in the Yuán Dynasty.

The stretch was a total length of 82 kilometers. Today's Shíchàhǎi and Hòuhǎi areas were full of merchant ships and bustling. In the middle and late Yuán Dynasty, two or three million stone grains were transported from the south to  Dàdū  大都 (name of the capital during the Yuán dynasty) through the Tōnghuì River every year. The river was used until the beginning of the 20th century when it lost its ability to be navigable. A statue of Guō Shǒujìng was built on the south bank of Gāobēidiàn Reservoir 高碑店水库 in Chāoyáng District 朝阳区 to pay tribute to this ancient great man.  A small museum, the Guō Shǒujìng Memorial Hall is worth visiting, 60a Déshèngmén West Street 德胜门西大街 , Xīchéng  District, Běijīng. Nearest Subway Station is Jīshuǐtán 积水潭 – exit C is literally right underneath the hill which the museum sits on) ; it is open every day except Tuesdays from 9am to 4pm.

Canal navigation of the North Canal in Běijīng at Tōngzhōu 通州 section of the Běiguān 北关闸 sluice en route to the Gāntáng  zhá 甘塘闸  sluice (from The Rise and Fall of the Grand Canal). ["In October 2019, the 11.4 km section of the North Canal from the Běiguān Sluice to the Gāntáng Sluice in Tōngzhōu will realize tourism navigation"]

The Tōngzhōu pagoda in 1860Confucius stands to greet visitors!

The  Xī Háizi Gōngyuán (park) 西海子公园  of Tōngzhōu District  stands at the northern end of the Běijīng-Hángzhōu Canal. The park was first formed in 1936 and expanded in 1985 and is enormous. Its most salient feature is the Rándēngfó Relics pagoda ( 通州燃灯佛舍利塔  [Tōngzhōu rándēngfú  shèlì tǎ]) which, according to lore, was built in the Zhōu dynasty, but has been rebuilt several times until the Qīng dynasty.

The bells of the Tōngzhōu "Lighthouse" pagoda have been ringing in the wind of the canal for more than 600 years, becoming a navigation signal for ships traveling back and forth . But actually, calling it a "lighthouse" is a misnomer, because the "burning lantern" Rándēng  is in fact part of the name of Rándēngfó, the Chinese name of the Dipamkara Buddha who predated the historical Buddha and who forecast his arrival). The statue of the "Burning Lamp" Buddha is enshrined in front of the pagoda. The tower is an octagonal 13-story brick structure with a height of 56 meters and a base circumference of 38 meters.  There are 2,232 copper bells on the pagoda, which sound pleasant when the breeze blows, and 424 Buddha statues sculpted on the bricks.

Around this pagoda there is a unique temple, even for China. This temple is called the Temple of Three Religions : Sān Jiāo Miào (三教庙), because it simultaneously contains a Confucian section, a Buddhist section, and a Taoist section. The Temple of Confucius, like all such, is more of a museum, since officially Confucianism does not have the status of a religion in China. But this does not stop people from throwing money on the altars and asking for something of their own. It is the first one after the entrance which can be tricky to find, on a narrow street.  The Buddist temple and Taoist temple are next, and then the pagoda. "There is a belief that in order for your wish to come true, you need to walk around it three times, silently repeating your request addressed to Buddha. Try it, but not “for fun”, but seriously, and you will see that Buddha hears and answers those who turn to him."

Location :  gps 39°54’49” N, 116°39’53” E, 9am–4pm.

Click on picture above for more pictures of the Grand Canal in Tōngzhōu on the blog of ZhengYan

Línqīng : this was the hometown of Mǎ  nainai in the drama, and the city where Xiè Wànghé had found a buyer online  purchasing barges for  "earthwork business" and interested in his father's ship, in ep.13) is a the junction of the "Lù Canal" 潞运河 and "Southern Canal" sections of the Grand Canal.

Historically, that city revolved around the grain-supply trade to the northern capital, then called Dàdū 大都 , since the Yuán (Mongol) dynasty (1279–1368). In 1282–83 the decision was made to build a new canal from the Huáng Hé 黄河 (Yellow River)—which since 1195 had changed its course southward and taken over the former mouth of the Huái river 淮河 below Huáiyīn  淮阴 —to the Dàqīng River 大清河 in northern Shāndōng 山东 province,  but silt made the planned outlet to the sea impossible, so after different trials and errors, another stretch of canal, the Huìtōng Canal 汇通运河, was built to join Dong’e Zhen on the Huáng Hé with the Wèi River 渭河 at Línqīng. In this way, the modern Grand Canal came into being. During the Yuán period, however, canal transport was expensive and inefficient, and most grain went by sea.   Later, Línqīng became a center of production of roof tiles for the Imperial palaces in Běijīng, which were shipped into the capital on barges sailing the Canal.

In the Míng and Qīng dynasties, Línqīng was a bustling metropolis at the forefront of the economy, no less than today's Guǎngzhōu and Qīngdǎo. Several poets and writers celebrated their native city, and in the famous classic raunchy novel Jīnpíngméi 金瓶梅, Línqīng was described as follows: "Línqīng Gate is a bustling and prosperous place, where merchants come and go, and vehicles gather. There are 32 flower and willow lanes and 72 orchestral towers. Not far from the city, there is a Yàn gōng sì Temple 晏公寺 on Línqīng Mǎtóu [ie horse head ; there is now now a Mǎtóu mosque in town]. It is a land of fish and rice, a plahttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gps_Y0gboAAPbJD?format=jpg&name=mediumce where boats gather, with a lot of money and grain, and a quiet and unrestrained atmosphere." [Yàn gōng 晏公 is a very black face water god, "God of Nine Rivers and Eight Rivers" sometimes also a sea god; his cult started in the Yuán dynasty and spread from Jiāngxī province to Húběi and beyond in the Míng–Qīng Era.]

Relying on the prosperous trade, the annual tax revenue once accounted for a quarter of all taxes on the Grand Canal Customs. Due to its important position, Línqīng Grand Canal Customs was directly under the central government and managed by the Ministry of Revenue. It was abolished in 1930 (but the building remains  a historical landmark). The city is home to a large Hui Muslim Population and has three mosques.  Nevertheless, it is also the seat of a Latin Catholic mission since 1927, although without an  Apostolic administrator, since the third incumbent's death in 1981. In the 1500s the Jesuit missionary and sinologist Matteo Ricci had visited the city during his time in China (he became a mandarin minister in the government of emperor, who granted him a tomb and funeral stele in Beijing). He is commemorated by a wax statue at the Customs office!

Línqīng Relic Pagoda

Matteo Ricci wax statue at the Customs office.

Screenshots from Off The Beaten Path - LINQING in Shandong Province video on YouTube (10'29)

Among the 32 pagodas in the city, there is an octagonal brick pagoda which has bells on the eaves, built to stave off bad fengshui and house a Guānyīn statue. This "Línqīng relic pagoda" Shèlì tǎ 舍利塔 [means "stupa", a building designed to hold a Buddha relic, here finger bones]  is known as one of the "Four Famous Towers on the Grand Canal" together with the Rán dēngtǎ  燃灯塔 ('Burning lighthouse') Tower in Tōngzhōu, the Liùhé Tǎ 六和塔 Tower in Hángzhōu, and the Wénfēng tǎ   文峰塔 Tower in Yángzhōu. Many stories and legends are told about this Shèlì tǎ tower. 

Áotóu jī  鳌头矶 is a small  group of buildings and temples with an east entrance in the form of a turtle head, built to pray for flood control. Many people ascended the gate to look at the panorama on the Yuán canal to the north and the Míng canal on the south side ; emperor Kāngxī  visited it on his tour in the provinces.   The building is now a protected heritage site and it houses the city museum.  There is a nice park close to it across the canal and a pretty bridge.