Encircled by the Zhong Canal on the west and the Luoma Lake on the east, the Yaowan Ancient Town in Xinyi, Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, used to be a bustling wharf for centuries since the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The Zhong Canal (literally the Middle Canal), part of the Grand Canal, stretches 186 kilometers, connecting Taier'zhuang in Shandong province and Huai'an in Jiangsu province. Excavated during the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was for replacing a channel filled up with silt of the Yellow River to expedite north-south water transport of tribute grain.