By Jiao Feng, China Today Staff Writer

The prosperity of Shanghai and her surrounding cities used to depend heavily on a single waterway – the Grand Canal. With Beijing and Hangzhou at its ends, the canal was the main route between the South and North of China till the introduction of the railway. Productions of the fertile southeast, like tea, silk and porcelain, were shipped to the North non-stop through this canal.

Liyuan Garden Entrance

A highlight of my recent trip to China was to visit Liyuan Garden in the Kaiping District of Guandong. In 2007, the Garden was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages. "Diaolou" is a term used to describe fortified multi-storied tower-like structures that exquisitely integrate western architectural style with Chinese architectural style. This garden should not be mistaken with another famous garden referred to by the same name which is located in the lower Yangtze valley on Lihu Lake in southwest Wuxi which we also visited on this trip.