Canal Crossroads: Ancient Tongzhou and the Confluence of Five Rivers

“今天我们从通州的大运河公园出发，这里是世界著名京杭大运河北端的起点。我的身后就是‘京杭大运河起点’的石碑。从这里望去，五水汇流，千百年来，它曾是漕运的命脉，把江南的粮食与文化送入帝都。让我们一起走进这段历史。”

“Today, we begin at the Grand Canal Park in Tongzhou, where the Beijing section of the world-famous Grand Canal starts. Behind me is the monument marking the canal’s northernmost point. From here, five rivers converge, forming the lifeline that once carried grain and culture from the south to the capital. Let’s walk into the history together. ”

京杭大运河北京段又称通惠河，承载着七百余年的历史。眼前的“京杭大运河起点”碑，标示着这条古老水脉的北端起点与终点。温榆河、北运河、小中河、运潮减河与通惠河在此交汇，汇成“五河汇流”奇观。自然形成的河流与人工开凿的运河交织在一起，塑造了通州“北京之门”的独特地位——物资于此转运，人群于此往来，文化于此汇聚。如今，漕运早已停歇，但大运河以文化公园的新姿焕发生机。人们漫步河畔，徜徉于修复后的河岸景观之中，感悟大运河如何塑造北京的历史与记忆 。

The Beijing section of the Grand Canal, also called the Tonghui River, carries more than 700 years of history. 

The monument before us declares the canal’s northern terminus. Here, the Wenyu River, Beiyun River, Xiaozhong River, Yun-chao diversion, and Tonghui River converge, a spectacle known as “the confluence of five waters.” 

This natural and man-made system made Tongzhou the “gateway to Beijing” and a hub where goods, people, and cultures gathered. Today, while the canal has lost its transport role, it has gained a new life as a cultural park. Visitors can walk along the riverside promenade, admire the restored landscapes, and reflect on the canal’s role in shaping Beijing as a capital of empire and a city of living memory.

通州自古被称为“京师粮仓”。自元代至清代，南来的漕船在长途跋涉后抵达这里。船只靠岸后，粮食要在“验粮楼”里称量，然后再运往京城。明清时期，通州发展成一座繁华之城：仓储、集市、庙宇林立，甚至外国使节在进京觐见前也常驻足于此。京城的繁荣与通州密不可分，大运河在此实现了南北沟通。

Tongzhou was known as the “Granary of the Capital.” From the Yuan to the Qing dynasties, ships arrived here after long journeys from the Yangtze River basin. Once docked, grain was measured in the “Yiliang Building” and then transported further into the city. During the Ming and Qing periods, Tongzhou developed into a bustling town with warehouses, markets, temples, and even foreign envoys stopping here on their way to the Forbidden City. The prosperity of the capital was inseparable from this town, where the Grand Canal connected north and south.

“在我身后矗立的是高大的燃灯塔，高56米，共十三层。自辽代以来，它一直为漕运船只指引方向。船工远远望见古塔身影，就知道离京城不远了。如今，它不仅是地标，更是文化信仰与记忆的象征。”

“Behind me rises the magnificent Lantern Tower, or Randeng Pagoda, 56 meters tall with thirteen tiers. Since the Liao Dynasty, it has guided generations of canal boats. For sailors, the moment they saw the pagoda’s silhouette on the horizon, they knew they were close to the capital. Today, it is more than a landmark—it is a symbol of cultural faith and memory.”

燃灯塔隶属于“三庙一塔”景区，是中国唯一儒、释、道并存的古建群。塔内供奉佛舍利，却也兼具航标作用。自元明清以来，它被列为“通州八景”之首——“古塔凌云”。自杭州而来的船工，漂泊数周，当他们远远望见林木间闪现的古塔，心中便知平安已至。塔旁的儒庙、佛寺、道观，也折射出运河城镇的文化兼容。历经地震战乱，燃灯塔屡修屡存。今日，它既是精神象征，也是运河塑造京城生活的见证。行走于此，仿佛仍能听见祈祷的低语、木舟的吱呀与随风作响的铜铃声 。"

Randeng Pagoda is part of the “Three Temples and One Pagoda” complex, the only site in China where Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist architecture coexists. The pagoda, built to enshrine relics of the Buddha, was also a practical beacon. From the Yuan to the Qing, it was listed as the first of the “Eight Views of Tongzhou” under the name “Ancient Pagoda Touching the Clouds. Sailors traveling from Hangzhou to Beijing, after weeks on the water, felt relief when they saw the pagoda shimmering above the trees. It meant safety and arrival. Nearby temples—Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist—illustrated the cultural inclusiveness of the canal towns.

Even after earthquakes and wars, the pagoda was repaired and preserved. Today, it stands as both a spiritual monument and a testimony to the canal’s role in shaping the capital’s life. Walking here, one can hear the echoes of prayers, the creak of wooden boats, and the clang of bells swaying in the wind ."

“现在我们眼前的这一部分，就是古通州城的城垣遗址。残存下来的，是明清时期通州城的东北角。”

“What we see before us now is the remains of the ancient city wall of Tongzhou. The part that survives today is the northeast corner of the Ming and Qing dynasty city.”

这里的城砖并非全部本地烧制，其中相当一部分来自南方，尤其是山东临清。临清砖坚硬耐久，被称为“天下第一砖”，通过大运河北上，在码头卸货后运至通州和北京，用于城墙等重要建筑。明嘉靖年间，北京扩建南城时曾大量征调砖料，工程结束后剩余的部分，也直接运到通州使用。由此可见，大运河不仅运送漕粮、丝绸和各类货物，也运来了建造城池所需的砖石。

The bricks used here were not all local; many were fired in kilns far to the south, particularly in Linqing, Shandong, which was famous for producing strong, durable “Linqing bricks.” These bricks were shipped north along the canal, unloaded at the wharves, and then carried to construction sites like Tongzhou and even Beijing’s city walls.

During the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, when Beijing’s southern city expansion required massive amounts of building materials, surplus bricks from that project were also diverted here for use in Tongzhou. In this way, the canal did not only transport grain, silk, and goods, but also the very stones and bricks that built the cities themselves.

“现在我们来到的是李卓吾先生的墓，他本名李贽，是晚明的大思想家。大多数人来西海子公园，都是为了看那座标志性的燃灯塔，但我也强烈推荐大家来这里静静拜谒一下。李贽关于平等、个性解放和‘童心’的思想曾挑战传统，如今依旧触动着我们的心灵。”

“Now we are at the tomb of Li Zhuowu, better known as Li Zhi, a great thinker of the late Ming dynasty. While most visitors come to West Haizi Park to see the iconic Randeng Pagoda, I strongly recommend a quiet visit here as well. Li’s ideas on equality, individuality, and the purity of a child’s heart challenged convention and still speak to us today.”

大运河不仅是一条河流，更是中华文明的流动档案。运河至今仍在流淌，联结过去与未来，提醒我们：水即历史，历史亦鲜活。

Grand Canal is not only a river but also a flowing archive of Chinese civilization. The canal still flows, linking past and future, reminding us that water is history, and history is alive.

通惠河与大运河公园的故事，正是北京崛起为帝都的缩影。没有运河，就没有稳定的漕粮供应，没有繁荣的市井与庞大的文化交流。从杭州到北京，从南到北，从农夫到皇帝，皆因运河而联通。

今天，运河不再满载漕船，却满载记忆与意义。修复的景观、博物馆与文化活动，让人们重新认识它的价值。从“古塔凌云”的燃灯塔，到郭守敬的纪念馆，运河告诉我们：工程与文化、自然与城市、过去与现在从未分离。

The story of the Tonghui River and the Grand Canal Park is the story of Beijing’s rise as a capital. Without the canal, there would have been no steady supply of grain, no prosperity of the markets, and no cultural exchange on such a vast scale. The canal connected Hangzhou to Beijing, the south to the north, farmers to emperors.

Today, the canal no longer carries fleets of grain ships. Instead, it carries memory and meaning. The restored landscapes, museums, and cultural events allow people to rediscover its value. From the ancient “Lantern Pagoda touching the clouds” to the modest memorial of Guo Shoujing, the canal tells us that engineering and culture, nature and city, past and present, are inseparable.

出品人：王晓辉

Executive Producer: Wang Xiaohui

总监制：薛立胜

Chief Supervisor: Xue Lisheng

总策划：蔚力

Chief Planner: Yu Li

制片：张芃芃

Producer: Zhang Pengpeng

策划：张芃芃 丁素云 曹川川 李颖

Creative Planning: Zhang Pengpeng, Ding Suyun, Cao Chuanchuan, Li Ying

导演：龚小磊

Director: Gong Xiaolei

撰稿：张芃芃

Screenwriter: Zhang Pengpeng

主持人：荣希玛 (Chaima El Moujradi) 劳拉 (Laura Ugalde) 德密柰 (Marina Dech)

Hosts: Chaima El Moujradi, Laura Ugalde, Marina Dech

摄像：李春浩 王恺琦

Cinematography: Li Chunhao, Wang Kaiqi

跟机：王俊胜

Camera Assistant: Wang Junsheng

剪辑：王恺琦 顾钧予 刘泽敖

Editing: Wang Kaiqi, Gu Junyu, Liu Zeao

调色：康凯

Color Grading: Kang Kai

混音：康凯

Sound Mixing: Kang Kai

推广：孟超 李昭 姜壹平 苏向东 丁素云 王雁青 葛蕾 秦金月 张静

Promotion: Meng Chao, Li Zhao, Jiang Yiping, Su Xiangdong, Ding Suyun, Wang Yanqing, Ge Lei, Qin Jinyue, Zhang Jing

节目承制：大音

Produced by: NEWSAYING (Shanghai) Consulting and Planning Co., Ltd.