Venture into the Source of Zhedong Canal and Explore the Story of the Locks

Located at the southernmost point of the Grand Canal of China, Zhedong Canal starts from Xixing Ancient Town in Hangzhou, passes through Shaoxing, and ends at the Yongjiang River in Ningbo, where it flows into the East China Sea. Together with the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Sui and Tang Grand Canal, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014.

The provincial water resources department recently released the first list of important heritage resources of water projects in Zhejiang, totaling 205 sites. Among them, the site of Yongxing Lock and Xixing Wharf in Xixing Street, Binjiang District are listed.

01 Yongxing Lock

Yongxing Lock, also known as Longkou Lock, is located at the head of Zhedong Canal, north of Xixing Tielingguan Ruins. It was built in the fifteenth year of the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty (1587). At that time, Liu Hui, the county magistrate, appropriated 874 taels of silver from the treasury to convert the weir at the head of Zhedong Canal into two locks, east and west, about a hundred meters apart. Through the locks, the canal is connected to the Qiantang River. In times of drought, the locks can be opened to divert water for irrigation, and in times of flood, they can be opened to drain water to protect people's crops. Yongxing Lock is 4.4 meters wide and about 3 meters high, built with stone strips (boards), and equipped with a double-groove lock gate.

In 2012, the Hangzhou Institute of Archaeology conducted a protective excavation of Yongxing Lock (the lock on the east side; the lock on the west side has not been found), and unearthed two-meter-long round logs and several pieces of porcelain, providing evidence for the study of the canal culture in Xixing.

02 Xixing Wharf

Xixing Guotangxing Wharf is a transportation hub connecting Qiantang River with Zhedong Canal. Since the Western Jin Dynasty, Xixing had become a transit port, and the surrounding area quickly developed into a thriving commercial town, with water stations replacing traditional courier stations and becoming the main mode of transport.

Guotangxing has witnessed half of the history of Xixing. At the Guotangxing Wharf exhibition hall, you can learn about the glorious history of Zhedong Canal and the starting point of the Tang Dynasty Poetry Road, as well as the rise and fall of the Guotangxing industry in Xixing.

03 Zifu Lock

Zifu Lock, originally named Qingshui Lock, is located more than 20 meters south of the ancient Zifu Bridge in Xixing, originally on the east side of Zifu Temple on the Houhe River. It was built in the third year of the Jingde Period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1006) when Wang Li was the governor of Yuezhou, four or five hundred years earlier than the ancient Zifu Bridge.

04 Xinqiao Lock

The Xinqiao Lock is located at the eastern end of the Xixing section of Zhedong Canal, about 20 meters away from the Xinqiao Bridge. It was built around the early Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1398) and was built of stone strips.

05 Qijia Lock

Qijia Lock, also known as Limin Lock, is located on the south bank of the Qiantang River, about five kilometers north of Xixing, and northeast of Qijiaza Village (now Qijiaza Community). Built in June 1954 with a drainage capacity of 16 cubic meters per second, it was built with government investment, mainly for drainage and irrigation in the nearby cotton and flax growing areas. With the completion of the Qijia Lock, the drainage and irrigation in Xixing and the surrounding cotton and flax growing areas have been significantly improved.