Its skin is so crispy and the meat is tender. Wrap the duck in a thin pancake along with some sliced vegetables and hoi sin sauce, and then — bite! The rich flavors burst in your mouth.

Peking roast duck is a signature dish of Beijing, but its origin is credited to the Grand Canal, a 2,500-year-old network of artificial waterways running through more than 30 Chinese cities.

As President Xi Jinping said in 2017, the Grand Canal is a precious legacy passed down by Chinese people's ancestors. Culture flows along the waterway, he said, and the watercourse should be protected, inherited and used.

History has navigated the course of the Grand Canal and the creativity of this megaproject remains to be a source of inspiration.

[Illustrated by Du Fei]