Grand Canal in Hebei halfway restored  

中國大運(yùn)河申遺進(jìn)入沖刺 河北段4處遺產(chǎn)點(diǎn)完工

河北省文物局30日透露，中國大運(yùn)河聯(lián)合申遺進(jìn)入最后沖刺階段，目前河北段8處申遺遺產(chǎn)點(diǎn)中已有4處基本完工，其余4處將盡快動工。

Shijiazhuang (CNS) -- Four areas of the Grand Canal in Hebei Province, which will apply for a World Heritage listing, have been repaired, and construction will begin immediately on the remaining four spots, the local cultural relics bureau announced on Tuesday.

The channel here is well preserved and has a number of historical areas that are in their original state, thus the Hebei section comprises an important part of the canal, said Liu Zhimin, an official at the bureau.

The Grand Canal is the longest and oldest artificial river in the world, dating back to the 5th century BC. Starting in Beijing, it runs through Tianjin and passes through the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou.

Thirty-five cities will jointly submit the application to UNESCO for review. All preparation work is scheduled to receive expert assessment by August 2013.