The government needs to do more to protect the Grand Canal, a waterway linking Beijing to Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, a political advisor said yesterday.

He said the canal is not only culturally valuable but also remains important to the economy.

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

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

The 1,794-kilometer-long canal is the longest artificial waterway in the world. Parts of the canal were dug in the fifth century BC. And the full canal had served as a major south-north transport artery since it was 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 three times as many goods as the Beijing-Shanghai railway line. The canal also has great potential in tourism development, according to Liu.

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

He also suggested the agenda for applying for world heritage status for the canal 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 protection and on the UNESCO World Heritage list.