Guo Shoujing is an ancient Chinese scientist and engineer who developed the water network of Beijing in the 13th century. On November 20th, Guo Shoujing Memorial was reopened to the public after a one year’s renovation.
The museum is located on the north bank of the Shichahai Lake, which used to be the northern end of the Grand Canal – a man-made waterway stretching from Beijing to Hangzhou in east China’s Zhejiang Province. Guo Shoujing built the downtown lake and many other river channels connecting the canal in some northern cities, which allowed local people access to the water for daily use.
Built in 1988, Guo Shoujing Memorial has received more than 30,000 visitors every year. According to the curator of the museum, Zhang Peng, the museum focuses on Guo Shoujing’s hydraulic engineering achievement and his great contribution to Beijing’s water resource and conservancy. The museum aimed to honor the scientist and inspire people’s interest in the history of the Grand Canal.