Tonghui Canal in the late Qing Dynasty (1636-1912)

Tonghui Canal, also known as Tongji Canal, belongs to the northern water system of the Grand Canal of China. It was called Jinshui Canal in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and renamed Yu Canal after the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Running from east to west, the canal was originally about 82 kilometers long. Its construction kicked off in the Yuan Dynasty under the leadership of a water expert, Mr. Guo Shoujing. The first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty named it Tonghui Canal.

However, the heyday of Tonghui Canal was momentary. With the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty and the establishment of Nanjing as the capital, the canal was once abandoned. It was not until the Yongle year (1403-1424) of the Ming Dynasty when the capital moved to Beijing that the governance of the Tonghui Canal commenced again. The Ming Dynasty carried out several large-scale renovations on Tonghui Canal. Except for direct entry into Beijing, the grain transport regained prosperity in the Yuan Dynasty, and the canal continued to be used until the early 20th century.

The estuary section of Tonghui Canal in the old days

After the cessation of grain transport, Tonghui Canal undertook the task of delivering irrigation water and became the largest drainage system in  urban Beijing. With the industrial development, Tonghui Canal became the main channel for sewage discharge in urban Beijing. As the sewage was then discharged into the Gaobeidian sewage treatment plant, the water quality of Tonghui Canal has been improving year by year. Eventually, it has become a landscape in Beijing after decades of management.

Tonghui Canal at present

Nowadays, with a total length of 21 km, Tonghui Canal runs across the core area of Beijing from the East Second Ring Road to the East Fifth Ring Road, connecting Beijing Railway Station, CBD, cultural and innovation pilot zones and other core functional areas. Its drainage area boasts of 250 km2 and the maximum drainage capacity sits 350 m3 per second. The main tributaries consist of the moat, urban river system, Jin River, Chang river and Nanhan River.

Tonghui River in modern times

Tonghui Canal was once an economic lifeline of Beijing and played a crucial role in sustaining the prosperity of the economy. Nowadays, Tonghui Canal is a major waterway connecting Beijing with the administrative sub-center of Tongzhou. In October 2020, the Gaobeidian Lake section of Tonghui Canal was open to boat tour, which is vital to riverine ecological environment and tourism development between Beijing and Tongzhou.