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Photos chart the journey of Grand Canal
Date: 2024-06-26 Source: chinadaily.com.cn
The photo taken in 1978 shows a seven-hole bridge above the Grand Canal. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo album The Grand Canal depicts the fate of a group of people living on both sides of the canal since the 1960s.

Through the portrait of vivid individuals, the images present the relationship between history and humans, and reflect the national spirit of diligence, bravery, perseverance and optimism. The photos, like a mirror of history, provide real look at the past.

The Grand Canal, stretching 3,200 kilometers from Beijing to Hangzhou, marks the world's longest man-made waterway. The canal, once an important waterway for transporting supplies between the south and the north, has a history of more than 2,500 years. A stretch of the canal of over 1,000 km was recognized as a world heritage site in 2014.

The photo taken in 1969 shows a hard-cart puller and a man carrying a pole. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photographer Tang Desheng, who was born by the Grand Canal and grew up near the canal, has special attachment to the canal. In his childhood, he used his uncle’s camera to capture the scene of his friends in a water fight, marking his first encounter with photography. Since then, he has become interested in photography and embarked his road of creation.

The photo album The Grand Canal has not only been highly praised in the photographic circle in China, but also has won many awards abroad. "What we hold is not a common camera lens, but our state of mind," Tang Desheng said.

The photo taken in 1970 shows farmers after work. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]
The photo taken in 1972 shows a kindergarten near the Grand Canal. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo taken in 1976 shows people playing chess. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo taken in 1981 shows a farmer herding ducks on a boat. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo taken in 1983 shows a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) stone arch bridge. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo taken in 1993 shows the Zhejiang section of the Grand Canal. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo taken in 2003 shows hundreds of ships sailing. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo taken in 2009 shows the Wuxi section of the Grand Canal. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo taken in 2010 shows the Zaohe section of the Grand Canal. [Photo by Tang Desheng/cpanet.org.cn]