From the origin of Peking duck to the inspiration of a megaproject chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2021-01-18 21:04 Share CLOSE Its skin is so crispy and the meat is tender. Wrap the duck in a thin pancake along with some sliced vegetables and hoi sin sauce, and then — bite! The rich flavors burst in your mouth. Peking roast duck is a signature dish of Beijing, but its origin is credited to the Grand Canal, a 2,500-year-old network of artificial waterways running through more than 30 Chinese cities. As President Xi Jinping said in 2017, the Grand Canal is a precious legacy passed down by Chinese people's ancestors. Culture flows along the waterway, he said, and the watercourse should be protected, inherited and used.