Why is Jining called Little Suzhou in the North of the Yangtze River?

Among the northern cities in China, Jining has the largest number of rivers and has the characteristics of a water town with dense rivers and harbors. There are Beijing-Hangzhou Canal in the west, Guangfu River in the east, Mianhe River, Fuhe River, Yuehe River, Ancient Canal, Rencheng River, Yangjia River and Nigou River in the high-tech zone. Since the Grand Canal ran through the north and south of Jining in the Yuan Dynasty, Jining has become the throat of the canal, the largest wharf and material distribution center in the north of the Yangtze River, and the canal has brought information, wealth, skills and talents to Jining. Bamboo, medicinal materials, bronzes, leather, pickles, tobacco, snacks and other industries have developed simultaneously, and pawn shops, money houses, grain shops, teahouses, restaurants, theaters, halls and churches are all over the streets. Jining is the seven main commercial ports of foreign trade along the canal. Jining satrap, ten years nine don't accept, accept one, raise Kyushu. It means that the land in Jining supports people. The Grand Canal is over 300 kilometers in Shandong, including 2 15 kilometers in Jining. Jining's inland river shipping accounts for 80% of Shandong Province. Jining has rich characteristics of canal culture. In order to give full play to the advantages of Jining's water environment, show the style of Jining's canal capital and water city, and follow the concept of protecting, utilizing and developing canal culture and highlighting local characteristics, in 2006, Jining focused on the comprehensive management of the 4.5-kilometer-long section of the ancient canal from Ji 'an Bridge to Lao Yang Bridge, mainly implementing projects such as river bottom dredging, cross-strait sewage interception, water source construction, riverside greening landscape, riverside commercial buildings, bridges, lights, sculptures and cruise terminals.