The Lizhiwan Canal, west of Guangzhou's ancient city walls, was once a classic canal connecting the Pearl River to the imperial Liyuan Gardens. Over time, however, as it became a sewage and drainage canal, the Lizhiwan was paved over.
In the 1990s, Guangzhou began to restore the entire hydrological system in the Liwan District. With construction taking place mainly during 2009-2010, 121 segments of the river and canal system began restoration, including the Lizhiwan Canal. In 2009, the Liwan District created a 58-hectare Lizhiwan cultural and recreational district in the surrounding area, preserving and restoring many of the historical buildings.
The section of the restored canal passes Enning Road, which has itself undergone a major renovation over the last several years with its 'shophouse' or qilou architecture retained and upgraded with painting and other exterior improvements. The public space elements added to enhance the canal restoration are in full view from this cache location.