As one of the famous historical and cultural cities, Huai’an locates at the confluence of the Grant Canal and the ancient Huai River, and it geographically situates at the climate boundary between the North China and the South China—Qinling and Huai River Line. Huai’an always boasted its “l(fā)ocation in the centre of China” and “the fortress of the water transport”. The great Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi highly praised Huai’an as “the primary eparchy of the southeast Huai River”. Thrived by means of the Grant Canal, Huai’an has rich culture about the canal history. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Huai’an became a real capital of the canal, for both the governor of canal transport and the governor of riverway stationed here.

        The convergence of the Grant Canal and the Huai River makes Huai’an possess a nimbus; the long history of Huai’an city makes its sky glittered with a myriad of stars. The Grant Canal, with a history of 2,500 years, and the Huai River, one of the ancient “four channels”, have bred, with their sweet milk, Huai’an people generation after generation, including many outstanding military and political leaders, literary giants, and other various kinds of talents. Han Xin the famous ancient military officer, Mu Sheng the master on fu-poetry in Han Dynasty, Wu Cheng’en the author of The Pilgrimage to the West, Zhou Enlai the first premier of new China, they have formed a dense and long chain of talents. Entering the Huai’an Celebrities Hall can make one feel that they have stepped into the galaxy of brilliant stars.