As night falls, the Grand Canal in Beijing’s Tongzhou becomes a stage of light and shadow, with boats gliding on the green waves and the dazzling nightscape on both sides fully visible. Visitors listen to the thousand-year story of the canal while experiencing the modern canal scenery interwoven with light and shadow.

Along the boat journey, every spot offers a view, and every section tells a story. Amid the rippling water, one can grasp the profound heritage of the Grand Canal spanning a thousand years.

“It’s absolutely stunning. This trip was totally worth it,” said a resident surnamed Zhou after watching the performance.

“Yunshangxing” water scenery poetic music performance.

This is the first moving water-immersive grand show created by the sub-center of the city—”Yunshangxing” water scenery poetic music. During the recent May Day holiday, “Yunshangxing” became a popular performance for residents and tourists, allowing everyone to experience the new scenes and vitality of the sub-center’s cultural tourism industry amid the integration of the thousand-year-old canal and modern cultural tourism.

Over the past decade of planning and construction, cultural tourism and other industries have become pillar industries of Beijing’s sub-center. The thriving industries have turned the former “sleeping city” into a place full of vitality everywhere.

Zhangjiawan, once known as the “first dock of the Grand Canal,” was famous for its prosperous grain transport. Twenty years ago, Jiang Lihua moved from her hometown in Hunan to Zhangjiawan in Tongzhou, Beijing. At that time, Zhangjiawan was still a suburban town with weak infrastructure and relatively poor transportation. Now, Zhangjiawan has become a “design town, smart town, and vibrant town” that the sub-center focuses on developing, with thriving industrial vitality and a concentration of high-end talent. The company where Jiang Lihua works has grown from a small enterprise with fewer than a hundred employees to a listed company.

This is also a microcosm of the sub-center’s industrial upgrade. Over the past decade, advanced manufacturing industries represented by smart connected vehicles, biomedicine, and integrated circuits have grown strongly, the financial sector has continued to expand, with its added value steadily accounting for about 10% of GDP, and cultural tourism has risen to become a pillar industry. The added value of the cultural, sports, and entertainment industry has increased 10.7 times over the decade, showcasing the sub-center’s vibrant industrial activity.

More and more industry professionals like Jiang Lihua are choosing to settle here, build careers, and pursue their dreams. Beijing’s sub-center is becoming a city of hope and dreams for more people.

On the banks of the North Canal, ten “Beijing Sails” rise above the Beijing Tongzhou Station, becoming another landmark of the sub-center. About 800 meters west of the station lies the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Now, the new hub is setting sail, injecting new momentum into the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and bringing happiness to cross-provincial commuters.

Software engineer Zhang Dong lives in Dachang, Hebei. Previously, he had to get up at six in the morning and spend nearly two hours on buses and subways to get to his company in Tongzhou, spending a total of four hours on the road each day.

After the Beijing Tongzhou Station opened, Zhang Dong can take a high-speed train and arrive at the sub-center in less than 20 minutes. He no longer needs to get up early to rush, and can enjoy a warm breakfast at home.

Currently, 12 cross-border roads have been built between Tongzhou and the three northern counties of Hebei, with roads like Changtong Road and the Chaobai River Bridge open to traffic, and expansion projects like Tongbao Road accelerating. The rail transit line Pinggu, spanning Beijing and Hebei, is expected to be operational by the end of this year. The Baiminan and Baimabei checkpoints have been renovated, increasing traffic efficiency by about 41% and 26% respectively, making cross-provincial commuting a “minute-level” affair.

Convenient transportation has turned the “same-city life” of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei into a daily reality. Working in Tongzhou and living in Hebei is no longer an unattainable dream.

The clustering of industries and smooth transportation have injected surging momentum into the development of Beijing’s sub-center. While accelerating its rise, the sub-center continues to promote ecological optimization

Grand Canal

The Grand Canal in China is the world’s longest and oldest artificial waterway, stretching over 1,700 kilometers from Beijing to Hangzhou. Construction began as early as the 5th century BC, with major expansions during the Sui Dynasty (581–618 AD) to unify the empire and facilitate grain transport. It served as a vital economic and cultural artery for centuries, linking northern and southern China, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Tongzhou

Tongzhou is a district in eastern Beijing, China, with a history dating back over 2,000 years as a key canal port on the Grand Canal. It served as a vital grain and goods transport hub for the imperial capital during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today, it is developing rapidly as Beijing’s sub-administrative center, blending historic sites like the燃灯佛舍利塔 (Randeng Buddha Relic Pagoda) with modern urban growth.

Beijing Tongzhou Station

Beijing Tongzhou Station is a major railway hub in the eastern suburb of Beijing, serving as a key terminal for high-speed rail and intercity trains. Originally opened in 2019 as part of the Beijing–Zhangjiakou high-speed railway, it was built to support the development of the Tongzhou sub-center and alleviate congestion at Beijing’s main stations. The station’s modern design and strategic location make it an important gateway for regional transportation and urban expansion.

North Canal

The North Canal, also known as the Northern Grand Canal, is a historic waterway in China that formed part of the larger Grand Canal system, connecting Beijing to the fertile regions of the south. Constructed primarily during the Sui and Yuan dynasties, it facilitated the transport of grain and goods, playing a vital role in China’s economic and political unification. Today, sections of the canal remain as cultural landmarks, reflecting centuries of imperial engineering and trade.

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the world’s longest and oldest man-made waterway, stretching over 1,700 kilometers from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south. Its construction began in the 5th century BCE, with major expansions during the Sui and Yuan dynasties to facilitate trade, transport, and political unity. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it played a crucial role in China’s economic and cultural development for centuries.

Zhangjiawan

Zhangjiawan, located in Tongzhou District, Beijing, was historically a vital canal port along the Grand Canal during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It served as a key hub for transporting grain, goods, and building materials into the capital, earning it the nickname “the first wharf of the Grand Canal.” Today, it preserves cultural relics like the ancient canal wharves and temples, offering a glimpse into its rich waterway heritage.

Grand Canal’s first dock

The “Grand Canal’s first dock” refers to the historic starting point of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in China, located in Hangzhou. Built during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) and expanded over centuries, this dock served as a vital southern terminus for the canal, facilitating trade and cultural exchange between northern and southern China. Today, it stands as a cultural heritage site, symbolizing the canal’s role as a major engineering feat and economic artery in Chinese history.

Chaobai River Bridge

The Chaobai River Bridge is a significant infrastructure landmark in Beijing, China, spanning the Chaobai River. Originally constructed in the 1950s, it has undergone multiple renovations to accommodate increasing traffic and modern transportation needs. The bridge serves as a vital link connecting Beijing’s urban areas with its eastern suburbs, playing a key role in the region’s development and daily commuting.