Discoveries in Jiangsu shed light on life in canal-side sites

The Grand Canal, the longest artificial waterway in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, runs through many cities in China from north to south. One such city is Huai'an in Jiangsu province, once an important station, the fortunes of which waxed and waned with those of the waterway. Archaeological efforts between 2021 and 2023 at three sites in Huai'an — Qingchengmen, Xinlu and Banzhazhen — along the Grand Canal from south to north, shed light on ancient city life during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, scholars told a National Cultural Heritage Administration news conference in Beijing on Friday.

The first site, Qingchengmen, or the Qingcheng Gate, was the western gate of Jiucheng, a city located in present-day Huai'an. Historical literature shows that construction of the original gate began during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). During subsequent dynasties, it underwent several rounds of reconstruction, says Zhao Libo, deputy director of the Huai'an Institute of Cultural Relics Preservation and Archaeology.

Archaeologists have discovered the gate, city walls, wengcheng (a type of defensive enclosure outside a city gate) and a drainage system, as well as more than 80 artifacts, including inscribed bricks and stone building units in the 3,000-square-meter excavation area.