The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Jiangsu Section, which is 690 kilometers long and accounts for two fifths of the total length of the Grand Canal, was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council of China in 2006.
Among it, the Suzhou Section starts from the Shadun Port in the north, and ends at Youchedun in the south. Shadun Port is at the border between Suzhou and Wuxi City, while Youchedun at that between Suzhou and Jiaxing City. The Suzhou Section, running a total length of 82.35 kilometers, takes up 40% of that of the Grand Canal in south of the lower reaches of Yangtze River. The Suzhou Section can be divided into three parts, west, middle and south. The western part runs from Wuqi Bridge to Maple Bridge, called Su-Xi Section. This section, flowing east-westward in a straight line, is about 18 kilometers long. In 1985, in order to improve the water course and beautify the urban environment of Suzhou, people built a new river south of Hengtang Lake, which crossed Xu River, went southward alongside the Northern Yuelai Creek, turned east near Shihu Lake, and merged with the Grand Canal at the place the Precious Belt Bridge by taking the course of Dantai Lake. The southern part starts from the Precious Belt Bridge, crosses Songling, Bache, Pingwang, and Shengze towns of Wujiang District, and reaches Jiaxing City after leaving Jiangsu Province by way of Wangjiang River. It is about 50 km (30 miles) long and is called the Su-Jia Section. After 1980, a new line aimed to shorten the waterway was built west of the Pingwang Town. By way of Lanxitang River, it gets to Yazi Dam at the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces and then goes straight to Hangzhou City. Ever since the completion of the new river, the main route of the Grand Canal no longer passes Jiaxing City and the name of Su-Jia Section becomes history. At present, the Suzhou Section Canal, classified as Grade 4 water course, is the first standard canal in China.
Scattered alongside the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Suzhou Section are a large number of historical and cultural relics like ancient river courses, revetments, posthouses, towpaths, city walls, gates, passes, pagodas, temples, bridges, halls, dwellings, gardens, streets and others. Among them, nine cultural relics, namely, Shili Pavilion, Xiajin bridge, Shangjin bridge, Wumen bridge, Miedu Bridge, Towpath, Sanli Bridge, Anmin bridge, Ande Bridge are related to the canal.