It looks like this site may be China's proposal in 2014. As such I decided I could attempt to get in a pre-emptive strike at what I hope may be part of the inscription. I visited the new Grand Canal park in the town of Tongzhou which is essentially a suburb of Beijing. It is here that the massive Grand Canal had its northern terminus, before goods were offloaded to be taken into Beijing proper. It seems a lot of money has been spent on making the park into a nice recreation area, and some of the local bridges are also being restored. The park has some nice touches, especially a sculpture on the ground that recreates the course of the canal and shows scenes from its illustrious history. However whilst I was there is just felt pretty windblown and desolate, the only people there were a group of school children, an elderly man flying a kite and one western tourist trying hard to fight off jet lag.

It was nice to be there though and it was interesting in an everyday off the beaten track kind of way. I can't say I have seen the best of this massive feat of engineering, but the girth of the canal was impressive. My hopes of getting onto the water were scuppered, there were no pleasure boats sailing (despite internet sources suggesting there were), the floating restaurant was closed and looking derelict and it was too windy for me even to venture out on the pedalo (at least I think that is what the bemused attendant was try to explain to me).

Houhai lake in central Beijing was part of the canal system but I am not sure if it is part of the proposal. I went there in anticipation of some nice relaxed bars around the shore line however it seems that it has had massive investment in the last few years, and it appears it is being turned into a kind of over the top tourist resort with identikit neon bars, it wasn't really to my taste. But as with many new projects in Beijing it seems that the authorities know what mass tourism wants and here they seem to be combining it with a still being constructed night market. If you are on the hunt for some laid back bars then I would recommend walking about 5 minutes further on to the area around the Drum and Bell towers, where the atmosphere was much nicer.

Perhaps venturing out to Tongzhou is not the best way to see the site, but it was an interesting excursion form the usual tourist routes of Beijing, it Houhai lake is to be included then you need not venture too far to pick up a new WHS should it be inscribed.

[Site 3 Experience 3]