Abstract: The Grand Canal is a precious heritage left to us by our ancestors. The cities along the canal were born and prospered due to the canal, and have historical and contemporary value. Against the backdrop of the crisis of decline in the value of the canal, cities along the canal are also showing a declining trend. Realizing the revival of cities along the canal through urban renewal has become an important task at present. This article is based on the extraction and analysis of canal genes, starting from cultural, spatial, and industrial aspects, proposing urban renewal strategies along the canal. Combining with the example of urban renewal in Qingjiangpu District, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province by summarizing and extracting the cultural connotations of each area, different renewal models are proposed for different plot characteristics, and then integrating the ‘first line seven points' to create a cultural living room for the Chinese canal, providing ideas and suggestions for cities along the canal to achieve the essence of the Grand Canal culture through urban renewal, the reproduction of the Grand Canal life scenes, and the demonstration of the Grand Canal industrial vitality.