Representatives from museums along the Grand Canal pose for a group photo. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Nearly 30 cultural and museum institutions in Hangzhou's Gongshu district gathered at the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum on Nov 3 to launch the Grand Canal Museum City Alliance.

The alliance aims to integrate local museum resources and jointly organize thematic exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural salons.

"Every museum, no matter its size, has unique value and deserves to be seen," said Jin Chengwu, head of the Gongshu district bureau of culture, radio, television, tourism and sports. The initiative seeks to break institutional barriers, enhance collaboration, and strengthen the cultural and academic vitality of the Grand Canal area.

The alliance includes both major and niche venues — from the Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum and Hangzhou City Construction Exhibition Hall to the Tianzhu Chopsticks Craft Museum and Xu Zhimo Memorial Hall. Together, these institutions form a network of "small yet exquisite" cultural spaces that illuminate the living heritage of the canal.

According to Chen Gang, director of the Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum, the platform will help transform the museums into "cultural living rooms" for the city and promote Hangzhou's vision of becoming a world-class city of museums.

The alliance's first joint initiative, A Visual Record of the Zhejiang Section of the Grand Canal, will showcase 30 photographs highlighting the cultural legacy of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

A participant takes photos of posters illustrating how cultural heritage has been preserved along the Grand Canal. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]