The Grand Canal became China's 46th World Heritage Site on June 22, 2014. Beijing played a vital role in securing this recognition, with two sections and two points along the canal highlighted in the application, the Tongzhou Section of the Tonghui River the lengthier of the two sections. The Tongzhou Section, which stretches from Yongtong Bridge in the west to the Tonghui River-North Grand Canal intersection (Wohu Bridge) in the east, is the first world-class heritage site within the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center.

Despite being only five kilometers in length, the Tongzhou Section is home to numerous historical landmarks, and the eastern Tongzhou Section, situated in the Xinhua Sub-District, is close to such old-town cultural relics and historic locations as the Tongzhou Yamen (Administrative Office) Site and Examination Hall. The convergence of the Tonghui River and North Grand Canal marks the eastern bound of this world heritage site and features a stone dam utilized for water transportation in ancient times.