The beautiful Hangzhou is one land of the covenant that the world-known Qiantang Rivet tidewater soaks into the land, accumulates, continuously strive to develop this stretch of land. No doubt that I'm obviously proud its brilliant ancient culture that you can never finish reading, the natural beauty of lakes and mountains that you are never surfeited with, but I feel a deeper affection for the Grand Canal than the West Lake.
Rain had slashed the ill-smelling water of the Grand Canal cleanly in the young morning light after days of downpour in torrents. One few and far view between man and fish salutes people's eyes. Elderly people nearby also could not help reviving the memory of an aesthetic spectacle. In those days, the water of the Grand Canal was very crystal clear. There're some shrimp and little fishes playing at the edge of a pond. People could hear the birds whistling at the edge of the Grand Canal. Nevertheless, people do not know when all this has receded before us!
There're many crossword riversides and scattered lakes in the region of Gongchen Bridge in their youth. Lush green grass, limpid blue water, gentle rippling and leisurely sail made up the most beautiful picture of the Grand Canal that rests quietly from north to south. The wives or daughters who pulled up their sleeves washed vegetables, rinsed rice and washed clothes.
The water in the river was just so clear and blue that you could see fishes swimming in it. Some naughty children were stripped and chasing after and tumbling over each other in the shallow limpid water of the Grand Canal. One of the old men continued: "After drinking the crystal clear water to quench my thirst, I find myself well and truly drunk, as though the water had been champagne."
Some fishermen under the shade of trees cast the books and let a baited hook fall gently onto the water to their hearts' content in a casual way. Angling the Grand Canal in the twilight should also be an especially pleasurable experience. A kingfisher among the bushes would abruptly flash across the water; the silvery fish vanished, leaving the duckweed, as if it competes with the fishermen. The bottom of the Grand Canal was clear spring water, with myriads of temptations and beautiful.
The wide Grand Canal remained the same mother river with the broad mind. North-south boats had brought prosperity and happiness to Hangzhou city. The livelong river-bed provided an inexhaustible source of fish and shrimps for the people on both sides of the Grand Canal. In the fall, gorgon fruit is a delicacy that nowadays we seldom can enjoy.
The formerly beauty of the Grand Canal has gone and no touch of the charming remains. The austere realism finally made people learn you again! Workers are dredging the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal to keep the water running unobstructed. The project of intercepting muck is now in progress in full swing! The Grand Canal of tomorrow must be like a thin silver band that attaches the hearts of millions of people.