The Lizhiwan Canal, west of Guangzhou's ancient city walls, was once a classic canal connecting the Pearl River to the imperial Liyuan gardens, where the South Han Emperor was said to have entertained his concubines by collecting the red lychee nuts that grew along its banks. Over time, however, as it became a sewage and drainage canal, the Lizhiwan was covered and turned into Xiguanguwan Road.
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 area is now known as the Xiguan Yongqingfang Tourist Area.
Many canal or river upgrades around the world feature impressive landscaping and other improvements but are poorly integrated with surrounding communities. The Lizhiwan canal has no such shortcoming, feeding into many alleyways to local communities.