Special Supplement: Hangzhou's golden waterways

Without the variety of waters crossing and surrounding Hangzhou, the city would not be the first-choice tourist attraction that it is in China.

A close look at the Grand Canal is part of the itinerary of many visitors to Hangzhou. Stretching from Beijing to Hangzhou, the canal dates from ancient times and is the oldest and longest man-made waterway in the world.

Three new travel routes over water are now highlighted for tourists to Hangzhou, including the Xixi Wetlands to the Grand Canal, the Grand Canal to the Qiantang River and the Grand Canal via the Shengli River to the Shangtang River.