Grand Canal in Hebei halfway restored  

中国大运河申遗进入冲刺 河北段4处遗产点完工

河北省文物局30日透露，中国大运河联合申遗进入最后冲刺阶段，目前河北段8处申遗遗产点中已有4处基本完工，其余4处将尽快动工。

Shijiazhuang (CNS) -- Four areas of the Grand Canal in Hebei Province, which will apply for a World Heritage listing, have been repaired, and construction will begin immediately on the remaining four spots, the local cultural relics bureau announced on Tuesday.

The channel here is well preserved and has a number of historical areas that are in their original state, thus the Hebei section comprises an important part of the canal, said Liu Zhimin, an official at the bureau.

The Grand Canal is the longest and oldest artificial river in the world, dating back to the 5th century BC. Starting in Beijing, it runs through Tianjin and passes through the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou.

Thirty-five cities will jointly submit the application to UNESCO for review. All preparation work is scheduled to receive expert assessment by August 2013.