A Chinese political advisor here on Sunday proposed the government make more efforts to protect the Grand Canal, saying the ancient waterway that connects Beijing and Hangzhou, capital of booming eastern Zhejiang Province, is not only culturally valuable but also remains important to economy.

"We have already made a good beginning in the protection for the canal. However, we do face a series of problems," said Liu Feng at the third plenary meeting of the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body.

The protection work lacks an overall planning and a unified coordination mechanism, as well as adequate funds, while the folk customs and art along the canal is on the verge of extinction, said Liu.

The 1,794-km canal is the longest artificial waterway in the world. Parts of the canal were dug in the fifth century B.C. and the full canal had been serving as a major south-north artery of transport after being completed in the 13th century.

The ancient canal still plays an important role in navigation, irrigation and flood control, the advisor said.

More than 100,000 vessels sail on the canal at present, transporting goods three times the freight of the north-south artery Beijing-Shanghai railway. The canal has also great potential in tourism development, according to Liu.

Liu called for the establishment of an administration commission of the Grand Canal directly under the State Council, or the cabinet, and a national regulation on the protection for the canal.

He also suggested the application agenda for the canal's world heritage status be drawn as soon as possible.

Wu Jianmin, spokesman for the CPPCC National Committee session, said on March 2 that the canal deserves equal protection efforts to those given to the Great Wall, which is under state key protection and on the World Heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Grand Canal has been included into China's new candidate list for the UNESCO World Heritage status.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2007)