Beijing by Water

For hundreds of years, the sight of the Randeng pagoda told boatmen that they had arrived at the capital. Sailing upstream on the 1800km long Grand Canal, stretching all the way from Hangzhou to the capital, they had finally reached their destination. Today, international airports, train stations and ring-roads welcome people to Beijing, it is easy to forget how important the waterways once were to the city. In fact, without the Yongding River, Beijing would not be here at all.

2 hours