A Holistic Conserving Approach on Heritage of the Grand Canal,China:Cultural Values Assessment of the Canal Under Historical Context of Jiangnan Civilization

This paper presents the development process of the Jiangnan Civilization under the specific condition of the Yangtze River Delta,where numerous rivers and waterways have worked together as a natural and matrix of the canal for thousands of years.To preserve it as a heritage,it is crucial to recognize that the local civilization has very much benefited from the flourishing natural and artificial network of waterways that is an indivisible part of the Grand Canal.This significant characteristic makes the canal as a heritage different from the present concept of cultural route.