The Grand Canal

Beijingers understanding and pride to the Grand Canal originated from the section between Baifu Spring in Changping District and Shichahai in Xicheng District. The completion of Tonghui River in a historical， creative and scientific manner was deeply imprinted in Beijingers hearts rather than in history， and the culture of the Grand Canal has been passionately running in the blood of Beijinger for generations， pulsing with heartbeats. Its grand spectacle for ages has been preserved and contributed by generations of local people.

Baifuwengshan River

The name “Baifu Spring” is nothing but a new term for people who know little about the history of the Grand Canal in the Yuan Dynasty. However， for those who know a bit about history， especially the Beijinger， it boasts mystery and familiarity， pride and power. The spring is located on a small hill called “Long Hill”， which is close to the urban area of Changping. During the reign of Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty， Guo Shoujing， a historically-renowned scientist， arrived here with his team members to investigate the spring， which was then tightly connected to the Grand Canal and its history. With a height of only 70 meters （150 meters as someone said）， Long Hill is of soil and rock， dwarfed by the family of towering mountains and peaks. Far from being majestic and imposing， it rises straight up lonely. Being given so many different names like Shen Hill （mysterious hill）， Longquan Hill， Fenghuang Hill and Baifu Hill， the Baifu Spring closely links the two major projects in Chinese history， namely the Great Wall and the Grand Canal！

The Great Wall and Baifu Spring are close at hand. People at the two places do not need to look far to see each other and a short drive will cover the distance between. The Great Wall， a masculine figure among high mountains and lofty hills， and Baifu Spring， a gentle， beautiful lady at the source of Tonghui River （a length of the Grand Canal）， jointly built the glorious history of Chinese civilization through the ages.

At present， the Baifu Spring lies in the Baifu Spring Wetland Park （covering nearly 400 hectares） as part of a heritage park， with its preservation of cultural relics and entertainment services improved consistently. However， its general outline has come into shape： the dried-out pool of the spring is now filled by clear water; streams gush from nine bluestone dragon heads hanging on the pool wall; the stone tablets and small pavilions by the spring have been refurbished; the Supreme Dragon King Temple on the hilltop has revitalized as its heyday in history; the Long Hill becomes more pleasant with water; lush trees， exuberant pines and cypresses， red leaves over hill and winding stone canals combined inject new impetus to the magnificent scenery of the Long Hill. The Wetland Park serves as a painting scroll， unfolding slowly with the vast water， the greenery of the shoals， misty willows and singing water birds.

It is impossible to picture Guos investigation on his arrival at present. By that time， there were definitely no nine dragon heads， which might be carved in the Ming Dynasty or the Qing Dynasty. Undoubtedly， the spring then could be nothing but a natural pool of abundant water， so it was taken a fancy by Guo. After investigation， Guo decided to divert the water of the Baifu Spring and other surrounding springs into the Wengshan Pond as a supplement to its water source from the Yuquan Hill. In addition， the waterway connecting to the northern part of the canal was constructed to enrich the flow into the Great Capital of the Yuan Dynasty， so cargo ships bearing grains could directly enter the city. The water scarcity for grain transportation was the common challenge faced by the Great Capital of Yuan Dynasty and the Central Capital of the Jin Dynasty. Therefore， Guo turned to the mountains and plains at the northern suburbs after investigation.

People who were familiar with the geography and landscape were confused that why Guo diverted the water of the Baifu Spring to Wengshan Lake： Wanshou Mountain and Yuquan Mountain are at the foot of the West Mountain， while the southeast part of Changping District is a valley. How could the water run upwards？ In fact， people neglected the altitude and the contour line on the map. As a scientist， Guo had applied the approach to the Grand Canal project before. The Baifu Spring was 15 meters higher than the Wengshan Lake， so the water finds its own level.

Proposed by Guo in the 28th year of Zhiyuan Reign in the Yuan Dynasty （1291），the project of Tonghui River， ， was initiated under the leadership of Guo in August next year （1292） upon the approval by Kublai Khan and completed in autumn one year later. Starting from Baifu Weir， the Baifu-Wengshan River， for bypassing the low-lying river valley of Shahe and Qinghe areas， first goes west along the southern foothill of northern hill， then turns to the southwest and finally to the southeast， converging with the Wangjiashan Spring， Huyan Spring （west of Changping）， Yimu Spring （Meng Village）， Mayan Spring （West Village）， Shihe Spring （Houjiazhuang Village）， South Spring （Guanxi Village）， Wentanglong Spring （Yuhe）， Lengshui Spring and Yu Spring， and gathering part of the upstream water sources of Shuangta River， Yu River， Qing River， Nansha River， etc and finally pours into the Wengshan Pond through the Qinglong Bridge.

Kunming Lake the Reservoir of Tonghui River

Tonghui River is an indispensable part of the Beijing Section of the Grand Canal. In the Yuan Dynasty， Tonghui River sourced from the Baifu Spring in Changping， stretched from its upper reach known as the Baifu Wengshan River， and poured into its reservoir known as the Wengshan Pond， which plays a vital role in the Tonghui River system.

Wengshan Pond， also known as Qili Lake in the Yuan Dynasty， was likened to the West Lake in the Ming Dynasty and then renamed Kunming Lake （still in use today） in the Qing Dynasty.

As everyone knows， Kunming Lake covers approximately three quarters of the Summer Palace. It used to be a natural lake， mainly originating from the springs of Jade Spring Hills and the waters of West Hills. Guo Shoujing increased its water sources from the Baifu Spring and the waters of Baifu Weir to solve the problem of allowing cargo ships for grain transportation at the Jishuitan Wharf to sail into Dadu， the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty， during the reign of Emperor Zhu Di， the Baifu Spring was abandoned due to the worries about the Feng Shui （Chinese geomancy） of imperial mausoleums harmed by the Baifu Spring Diversion Project. However， the springs of Jade Spring Hills and the waters of West Hills flowed ceaselessly all year around into Kunming Lake. It is hard to speculate whether the water inflow of Wengshan Pond was reduced or not later in the Ming Dynasty. By then， cargo ships for grain transportation could only arrive in Tongzhou， even royal ones were only allowed to dock on the wharf by the 10th Alley at the Forbidden Citys eastern moat. Tonghui River， running from the Kunming Lake to the downtown， has changed its role in grain transportation in the wake of lower water flow requirements， and Kunming Lake has been less water-filled compared with that in the Yuan Dynasty. However， the water supply of the springs of Jade Spring Hills and the waters of West Hills was adequate and ceaseless throughout the ages， which is absolutely a miracle. Running water never gets stale， and Kunming Lake is so far a fresh water lake with good water quality. When standing in the Foxiang Pavilion in the Longevity Hill， you can lean against the railings and look at the Kunming Lake at a distance to appreciate the scenery of mists and waves stretching far. The large lake， situated between the West Causeway and the East Causeway and sandwiched by the Long Causeway at the foot of the Longevity Hill and the South Lake Island， is crowded with dragon boats， speed boats， and pedal boats， which are racing each other on the vast water surface. The 150-meter Seventeen-Arch Bridge connecting the East Causeway and the South Lake Island spans over the water in an arch. The West Causeway is reasonably scattered with antique pavilions， stone bridges， and ancient trees， presenting an idyllic world. The West Lake on the west of the West Causeway is covered by lotuses， which are blossoming gracefully in summer to color the lake surface into pink. The water surrounding the South Lake Island stretches as far as the eye can see， inspiring people to go beyond the imagination. Walking along the causeway from north to east and then to south， you can find an amazing world of wonders： the 728-meter Long Corridor richly decorated with colorful paintings on the beams and the ceiling; the Heralding Spring Pavilion standing in the position that permits a privileged view of the early spring; the Bronze Ox positioned there to keep the floods down; the octagonal pavilion covering a floor area unrivalled nationwide; the ancient architectures linking all the halls and pavilions as a whole. While taking the route along the West Causeway， you can be overwhelmed by the centuries-old ancient willows， as well as the stone bridges of various sizes and shapes， illustrating the Chinese garden design concept of “One View Per Step”.

Nowadays， the Summer Palace， one of the “Three Hills and Five Imperial Gardens” in the western suburb of Beijing in the Qing Dynasty， together with Kunming Late， has become a world-renown popular tourism destination. Since the Jin Dynasty， the royal families of all previous dynasties have taken a liking to the place where the Kunming Lake is located today. For example， when the place was still a wetland with wonderful views， Wanyan Liang， Prince of Hailing in the Jin Dynasty， once decided to construct a temporary imperial palace here. And Wanyan Jing， Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty， attempted to converge all rivers flowing through here into a pond， so as to reform the river system at the foot of the Wengshan Mountain. When the pond got larger， it finally became a lake and was given a name after the Wengshan Mountain. In the Yuan Dynasty， Wengshan Pond as the reservoir of Tonghui River was very impressive in its size after a sharp growth of pondage， which was mainly due to the efforts of Guo Shoujing. Thanks to a large-scale dredging， reconstruction， and extension project to the Wengshan Pond， it was further enlarged up to the current size during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty， to be specific， before the commencement of the Garden of Clear Ripples. After the enlargement， the Wengshan Pond was renamed the Kunming Lake， an irrigation lake that is half natural and half artificial. In 1950s-1960s， the paddy fields in the western outskirt of Beijing benefiting from the Kunming Lake stretched out as far as Haidian Township and Zhongguanchun.

Spectacular Scenery of the Gaoliang River

Since Guo Shoujing excavated the Tonghui River， the reach for water diversion from the Baifu Spring to the Wengshan Pond was called “Baifu-Wengshan River”， now the Jingmi Diversion Canal. There is a watercourse at the Hongshan Outlet under the bluestone bridge connecting Changping， Shunyi and Miyun and leading all the way to Xishan. Thinking of this， the past scenes of the Baifu-Wengshan River float onto mind in a trance. But， what do we call the reach from the Wengshan Pond to the Jishuitan Lake？

Seemingly there is no definite answer.

According to some research papers， it was called the “Gaoliang River” in the Yuan Dynasty.

In fact， the Gaoliang River composed of two reaches. The first reach was a natural river， an old watercourse of the Gaoliang River with a hardly expected origin — the area of the present Zizhuyuan Park （Purple Bamboo Park）. It flew through the Baishi Bridge and the Gaoliang Bridge， entered the city through the Desheng Gate （Gate of Virtuous Triumph）， proceeded along the Jishuitan Lake， Shichahai Lake， Beihai Lake， Zhongnanihai Lake， passed the Zhengyang Gate （Gate of Zenith Sun） and the alley of Xianyukou， ran southeastwards from the west Longtan Lake， reached the Shibali Bridge， and emptied into the old watercourse of Yongding River at the south Maju Bridge. The second reach， namely the watercourse leading from the west Zizhuyuan to the Kunming Lake （Wengshan Pond）， was an artificial channel transformed from the old watercourse. Together with that reach of the Gaoliang River flowing through the outer area of Xizhimen in Xicheng and Haidian Districts， the watercourse was called “the Chang River， Yu River （Jade River）， Yu River （Imperial River）， or Cixi Watercourse.” Why naming it the Yu River （Jade River）？ There are two different explanations. The? concerns diverting water from the Yu Spring （Jade Spring）， hence the same wording of “jade”. And the second has relation to the Emperor. The watercourse was once exclusively used by the Emperor， so it was called the Yu River （Imperial River）; but after the Emperors death， the homophonic Chinese character meaning “jade” was adopted. Both of these explanations make sense.

The Gaoliang River might have been divided into two watercourses at the crossroad of Suzhou Street， one running northward along the Suzhou Street converging into the water system of the Old Summer Palace， while the other developing into the watercourse of Chang River we have today， and both of them pour into the Summer Palace. The northbound watercourse once had many underground springs， only having dried up for years unknown. The north-south Suzhou Street built by the Emperor Qianlong must have been paved along a river.

No matter what the name of the reach from the Kunming Lake to the Shichahai Lake was， it was a section of the Tonghui River in the Yuan Dynasty. The Tonghui River not only refers to the watercourse leading from Jishuitan Wharf to the northern part of the canal in Tongzhou， but also encompasses the watercourses from the Baifu Spring to the Wengshan Pond， and then to the Jishuitan Lake and all those leading to the northern part of the canal in Tongzhou. On the reach from the Kunming Lake to todays Shichahai Lake， there are numerous tourist destinations， including the Wanshou Temple， Zizhuyuan Park， Wuta Temple （Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum， BSCM）， and Beijing Zoo. Originally， this watercourse was in itself an imperial sightseeing route， with boat docks at Beijing Zoo， the Hou River of Beijing Exhibition Center， and Zizhuyuan Park， etc.

Lets firstly talk about the Wanshou Temple， or the Temple of Longevity. Although the modern urban buildings have deprived the temple of immeasurable historial charm， boasting an atmosphere hardly existed in regions other than the southern part of China， it is still a fine place to enjoy the spring beauty of capital Beijing. The Yu River （Imperial River） flows by the doorsteps of the temple， weeping willows grow on banks， and amidst green willows and clear water， the temple with glazed tiles and red walls demonstrates a grandeur rarely seen. The typically graceful temple， complemented with the riverside willows of tender beauty， not only presents pleasant scenery of force tempered with mercy， but also leaves behind ample room for imagination， that is， while enjoying the remains of the river， have a glimpse of the prosperous scene of the southern China duplicated here by the Emperor Qianlong. “Enjoy cypresses in the Temple of Heaven and willows at the gate of Wanshou Temple” — enjoying scenery while tracing back along the river of history affords for much thought.

The Wanshou Temple was built as early as the Ming Dynasty， heavily funded by the birth mother of the Emperor Shenzong of Ming， or Emperor Wanli. However， the Emperor Qianlong still thought it was small， so he not only ordered massive construction to expand the place， but moved his temporary imperial palace inside. With the temple， garden and temporary imperial palace integrated into one， the Wanshou Temple became a unique complex in the suburb of Beijing at that time.

The complex is grouped into three parts. The middle part composes of the Temple Gate， the Hall of Heavenly Kings， the Hall of Mahavira， the Pavilion of Longevity， the Pavilion of One Thousand Buddha， and the Tablet Pavilion， etc. The east part serves as the court of Buddhist abbots. And the west part is the temporary imperial palace， also called the Small Ningshou Palace. The Empress Dowager Cixi once lived here， and her dressing room has been well preserved. Besides， the statue of Sakyamuni enshrined at the center of the Hall of Heavenly Kings， as well as the statues of the eighteen arhats worshiped on both sides of the Hall all survived man-made disasters.

In 1984， the Wanshou Temple was developed into the Beijing Art Museum. While wandering in the famous temple and enjoying the garden architecture， tourists can also learn much from the traditional Chinese artwork displayed in the exhibition hall.

By the way， it is said that the big bell of the Dazhong Temple （Big Bell Temple） was moved from here， which also evidences the prosperity of the Wanshou Temple at that time. Would the ginkgo trees that have witnessed the vicissitudes of the temple during the past 400 years still remember things once happened here？

Next is Zizhuyuan Park. Ever since ancient times， Zizhuyuan was a scenic spot. As depicted in the Glance of Capital Scenery compiled in the Ming Dynasty， in Zizhuyuan， “the water grass drifts with currents while fishes swimming in flock. Willows tower on the bank with leaves reaching down to water. Verdant trees decorate temples， tavern flags flutter on pavilions， and the expansive pond lies in lapping shades.” Compared with the present scene， nothing seems to have changed after several hundred years. Such depiction still applies， only that the tavern flags have been replaced with modern signs. The place was very lively back in the Ming Dynasty. “Carriage takers roll up their curtains， horse riders gallop by， and walkers proceed slowly. People come with their hands full. After arrival， they spread green bamboo mats directly on the grass， with arrogant prostitutes and laborious actresses vying for better performance.” Somersaulting， rod climbing， and magic show…In contrast， the Zizhuyuan Park we see today seems to have grown more serene and elegant.

In the Ming Dynasty， Zizhuyuan was generally included into the area of the Gaoliang Bridge. The stretch from the Gaoliang Bridge to Zizhuyuan constituted an integrated place for people to enjoy the spring beauty. The name Zizhu， meaning purple bamboo， came from the imperial name “Zizhu Zen Garden” granted by the Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. At that time， the Zen garden was the lower part of the Wanshou Temple， also the temporary imperial palace and scenic spot for the Emperor. Every time he went to the Summer Palace （Qingyi Garden）， he would sail by this place. That was not a simple passing by， but some lingering lasting several days. We can well imagine that the Emperor would not be so interested if not for the fascinating scenery.

Lets move on to the Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum （BSCM）. To the east of the Baishi Bridge over the Gaoliang River and on the north bank of the river finds the place known as the Wuta Temple （Five Pagoda Temple）. It is the original Zhenjue Temple built in the Emperor Yongles reign in the Ming Dynasty. Inside， there stands the Diamond Throne Pagoda constructed during the Emperor Chenghuas reign in the Ming Dynasty. There are five small stone pagodas rising up from the high-rising base in distinctive shapes and with an overwhelming presence， hence the temple was named Wuta. Under the direction of Emperor Qianlong， it was massively renovated and renamed Dazhengjue Temple. In the early 20th century， the temple was destroyed yet the pagoda has survived and remained imposing as ever. Now， the temple also serves as the BSCM.

The exhibition of the BSCM mainly composes of two parts. The first part is an open-air exhibition featuring tombstone carvings， a gallery of epigraph tablets， a gallery of tablets carved in relief， a section of temple tablets， and a section of ancestral hall tablets， to name but a few. All of the exhibits are physical ones collected from various sources， arranged in categories and spread in the court in an eye-catching manner， forming into the most attractive exhibition besides the Diamond Throne Pagoda. Take time and admire the exhibits carefully， you will sure learn much from the process. The Diamond Throne Pagoda is also included in the real-scene exhibition. Pagodas in the same style rarely exist even nationwide， yet there are three in Beijing alone， the other two being the Pagoda of the Pure Phantom City of the Xihuang Temple， and another diamond throne pagoda in the Biyun Temple of Xishan. Among the existed diamond throne pagodas in China， the one in the Wuta Temple has the longest history， which is carved on the upper section of the stone tablet on the arched south-facing door of the pagoda.

The Diamond Throne Pagoda in the Wuta Temple combines into one the styles of Chinese and Indian architecture， mainly with features of Indian pagodas and supplemented by those of Chinese ethnic architecture. It is said that after the Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing， an eminent Indian monk came to pay tribute with two gifts， one being a set of five golden Buddha statues， and the other a model of the diamond throne pagoda. Overturning his nephew and taking over the throne， the Emperor Yongle was unsettled at that time， worrying that nobody would respect him. Hence， he was pleased to receive the eminent Indian monk. Emperor Yongle met the monk in the Wuying Palace， named him the State Preceptor （Da Guo Shi）， awarded him a golden seal and ordered the building of the Zhenjue Temple. However， it was not until the ninth year in the reign of the sixth emperor after Emperor Yongle that the pagoda was constructed， which set people doubting the truth of the story. Indeed， the pagoda， demonstrating both Chinese and Indian architectural styles， is built up according to the model offered by the eminent Indian monk. Elements of traditional Chinese architecture are delicately added into the structure. For example， there are stone-made short eaves overhanging the throne; the edges of eaves are molded with simple tiles， eave titles， drips and rafters; brackets are shaped at the head of carved columns separating Buddha niches; and on the part leading to the throne top， a shading pavilion featuring glazed tiles and a wood-like structure has been established. The five pagodas of the Wuta Temple are not only delicately sculptured buildings but also a giant artwork of stone carving. On the surface of the rectangular stone foundation of the Sumeru seat， Buddha statues， Buddhist instruments and other motifs are well carved. The facades of the arched doors facing south and north on the throne are ornamented with the carving of garudas， lions， elephants， peacocks， flying sheep and other images. The four sides of the rectangular pillar in the pagoda are decorated with Buddha niches once enshrining Buddha statues. On the first level of the Sumeru seat under the eaves of the five small pagodas topping the throne， there are also dense carvings of lions， elephants， horses， peacocks， vajra pestle and vases， etc. Right in the middle of the south-facing side of the central small pagoda， two Buddha feet were carved to indicate that the footprints of the Buddha can be found everywhere in the world. Besides， there are lotus， the eight treasures and other Buddhist decorations. Buddha niches are placed on the four sides of the pagoda and sitting Buddha is shaped inside while the facades are ornamented with garudas， lions， elephants， flying sheep， Bodhi trees and others.

The second part of the exhibition features indoor display， from which the visitors can learn about the stone carving of Beijing and appreciate the fine artworks of stone carving. For calligraphy lovers， it must be fabulous to buy some rubbings of stone inscriptions.

Shichahai the Northernmost Wharf of the Yuan Dynasty

Once having passed the breach of Xinjiekou， walking east along the second ring road， you can find the Huitong Temple only a few steps away. Huitong Temple was built on an islet during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. The islet， covered with hill stones， is verdant with pines and cypresses and embellished with flowers and trees. One red-painted temple atop rises above the greenery， forming not only a stark contrast in color， but also a special presence. Though the hill is not high， when facing the temple from the south side， you cannot help exclaiming “how steep！” The stone steps leading to the hill gate are dangerously steep， on which the temple with red walls and red gates towers aloft. The outermost layer of the hill， composed of a shield of jagged rocks， makes the great presence even more prominent.

To the west of the Huitong Temple lies the relics of the water inlet.

Huitong Temple was originally a temple enshrining the Avalokitesvara governing water， and renamed “Huitong” in the Qing Dynasty. In the 1970s， the temple was took apart for subway construction in the north second ring road. Then upon the approval of the Beijing Municipal Government， its rebuilding started in November 1983. The rebuilt Huitong Temple enshrined a white marble statue of Guo Shoujing， a Chinese scientist on water conservancy in the Yuan Dynasty， and contained the newly-built Memorial Hall of Guo Shoujing， which made the significance of the temple even more different from the past.

Across the south-facing Huitong Temple is the West Sea of Shichahai， from where not only the statue of Guo Shoujing is erected， but the reed grows densely， fostering an atmosphere of retrospection. This is truly enlightening！ People here， people living in the Xicheng District， and those in Beijing at large， are all deeply attached to the canal. A sense of proud indeed.

Shichahai used to be the northernmost wharf of the Grand Canal！

In the time of Guo Shoujing， Shichahai was known as “Bailiantan （White Lotus Pond）” as in the Jin Dynasty. Jishuitan （Stagnant Pond）， the north part of Bailiantan， was generally called “Haizi” （Sea） or “Xihaizi” （West Sea） in the Yuan Dynasty and gradually given the name “Jishuitan.” Jishuitan belonged to the Gaoliang River system and looked like a vast sea – thats probably the origin of the name “Haizi.” Both Nanjing， capital of the Liao Dynasty and Zhongdu， capital of the Jin Dynasty were built along the water system of Bailiantan， whereas for the construction of Dadu， capital of the Yuan Dynasty， the designers turned their eyes to Jishuitan as Bailiantan seemed to have been shadowed in capacity， so as to meet Kublai Khans request for a bigger and greater capital. People should reside along rivers and cities should stand and develop along rivers as well. The capital of Dadu was successfully built up along Jishuitan， much better than the old capital. The new capital was so expansive that when the troops of the Ming Dynasty conquered the place and started to consider capital planning and construction， they found it too large to be fully retained. Jishuitan was included into the capital of Dadu of the Yuan Dynasty， with the water area approaching the west city wall. Nevertheless， the water referred to Waishanhai （Outer Three Waters）， as the North Sea and Middle Sea of the Taiye Pond were still dwelled by imperial families， with imperial gardens remodeled and expanded within the sphere of the Daning Palace of the Jin Dynasty. The east border of Jishuitan was near the Houmen Bridge. To solve the difficulties in shipping grains from south to north， under the command of Kublai Khan， the dredging， reconstruction and digging work of the Grand Canal was extended to Tongzhou. However， the capacity remained limited if the cargo ships for grain transportation only sailed along the Ba River. In the 16th year of Zhiyuans Reign in the Yuan Dynasty， even after the completion of the Ba River project， the amount of transported grain was merely several million dan （approximately 60 kilograms in the Yuan Dynasty） at its best. Most cargo ships had to berth in Tongzhou and then downloaded the grain for land transportation. However， as the road was rugged and uneven， “countless donkeys and livestock died in rainy autumn days.” How urgent！ The cargo ships must enter the Dadu capital！ At the proposal of Guo Shoujing， Kublai Khan instructed that “the problem must be solved as soon as possible！” Under his instruction， Guo Shoujing assumed the position of Dushuijian and presided over water conservancy works. The Emperor directed all those with ranks under the Prime Minister to participate in the digging and hauling of the canal under the guidance of Guo Shoujing. In the same year， “the Emperor returned back to the capital. When passing by the Jishuitan and seeing a canal berthed with numerous cargo ships， the Emperor was so pleased that the canal has enabled those ships to enter the capital and thus gave it the name “Tonghui River.” Even instructing all officials with ranks under the Prime Minister to labor at the scene under the guidance of Guo Shoujing — as can be said， the anxiety and recognition of the Emperor was very strong.

Now， Jishuitan is only a geographic name; yet during the period from the 30th year of Zhiyuans Reign to the end of the Yuan Dynasty， Jishuitan was the northernmost wharf of the prosperous Grand Canal in its real sense！

No matter inside or outside the Huitong Temple， we are obliged to honor Guo Shoujing！