Grand Canal (China)

The Grand Canal is a huge system of connected canals in China. It links many important rivers and lakes in North and East China. It is the longest man-made waterway in the world and has been recognized as a World Heritage Site.

The main part of the canal today, called the Jing–Hang Grand Canal, stretches for about 1,776 kilometers from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south. It passes through several provinces and municipalities, including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei, Tianjin, and Beijing.

The oldest parts of the Grand Canal were built in the early 5th century BC. It was greatly expanded under Emperor Yang of Sui in 609 to connect the south to his capital in the north. Over the centuries, the canal has helped bring together different parts of China, even though it faced damage from floods and wars. Today, the canal is still used for carrying goods and for providing clean water to the north as part of a big water project.

History

Early periods

In ancient times, a leader named King Fuchai of Wu wanted to attack another area called the State of Qi. He built a canal to help move supplies north. This canal, called the Han or Hangou Canal, connected two important rivers using natural waterways, lakes, and marshes.

The Han Canal was important because it was one of the earliest parts of what would later become the Grand Canal. Another early canal, the Hong Canal, linked the Yellow River to other rivers. We don’t know exactly when the Hong Canal was built, but it was mentioned around 330 BC.

Sui dynasty

When China was united under the Sui dynasty, leaders wanted to connect different parts of the country. They built and repaired canals to help move goods and people. One big project was the Grand Canal, which helped connect the capital with southern areas rich in resources.

Engineers built locks to control water levels and moved lots of dirt to create new waterways. The Grand Canal was finally finished between 604 and 609. It connected important cities like Yangzhou and Luoyang, helping trade and travel across China.

Tang to Yuan dynasties

During the Tang dynasty, Yangzhou became a busy trade center near the Grand Canal. The canal helped move grain from the south to the north, which was very important for feeding people.

Later, during the Song dynasty, new inventions like the pound lock made travel on the canal safer. But wars and floods sometimes damaged the canal. During the Yuan dynasty, the capital moved to Beijing, so the canal’s route was changed to connect directly to the new capital.

Ming dynasty restoration

In the Ming dynasty, leaders fixed and rebuilt the Grand Canal. They dug new channels and built reservoirs to keep water flowing. The canal helped cities like Suzhou become rich and important.

Qing dynasty

The Qing dynasty kept maintaining the Grand Canal. But in 1855, a big flood changed the path of the Yellow River, which hurt the canal. Leaders had to find new ways to keep it working.

Modern China

In modern times, the Grand Canal faced challenges like pollution and disuse. But after 1949, leaders worked to repair and improve it. Today, the Grand Canal is important for moving water and goods, and it was named a World Heritage Site in 2014.

Modern course

The Grand Canal runs between Beijing and Hangzhou, covering a distance of 1,794 kilometers. However, only the part from Hangzhou to Liangshan County can still be used for boats today. The canal is now split into seven sections.

From south to north, these sections are the Jiangnan Canal, the Li Canal, the Inner Canal, the Middle Canal, the Lu Canal, the South Canal, the North Canal, and the Tonghui River. The Jiangnan Canal starts at Hangzhou and goes to Zhenjiang, passing by Lake Tai and cities like Jiaxing, Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou.

The Inner Canal links Huai'an and Yangzhou, while the Middle Canal goes from Huai'an to Weishan Lake. The Lu Canal runs through Shandong and includes several lakes. The Southern Canal stretches from Linqing to Tianjin along the Wei River. Finally, the Northern Canal and Tonghui River connect to Beijing, though ships now stop at Tongzhou and goods are moved overland to the city.

Registered Sections and Sites of the World Heritage complex

The Grand Canal World Heritage site includes 31 different sections and several additional heritage sites.

Elevations

The Grand Canal crosses the watersheds of five river systems, but the height differences between them are very small. The canal has one main high point, or summit. The water level in the canal changes from about 1 meter below sea level in Hangzhou to 38.5 meters above at its highest point. Near Beijing, the water is about 27 meters above sea level, helped by streams flowing down from nearby mountains. The water moves from Beijing toward Tianjin, and from a place called Nanwang both north toward Tianjin and south toward Yangzhou. In the Jiangnan Canal area, the water stays very close to sea level.

Uses

Transportation

From the Tang to Qing dynasties, the Grand Canal was the main route between northern and southern China. It was very important for moving grain to Beijing. At its busiest time, over 8,000 boats carried four to six million dan (240,000–360,000 metric tons) of grain each year. The canal also helped move other goods and became a busy area for trade. Emperors like Kangxi and Qianlong used the canal to travel south for visits.

The Grand Canal also helped people from different parts of China share ideas and culture. Famous travelers like Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci wrote about the canal and its busy cities.

Today, the canal is mainly used to carry large amounts of building materials and fuels. With new roads, railways, and high-speed trains, fewer people use the canal for travel. Ships can only go as far as Jining now because the part from Jining to Beijing has too much silt and not enough water. Plans exist to fix this so ships can go further.

South-North Water Transfer Project

The Grand Canal now also helps bring water from the south to the north. Extra water from the Yangtze River is added to the canal and moved through many stations until it reaches a certain point. Then the water flows naturally to places like Shandong and Tianjin. This extra water has helped restart shipping in the northern part of the canal.

Notable travelers

Many famous people traveled along the Grand Canal over the years. In 1169, a scholar named Lou Yue recorded his trip from the south to the north in a diary. In 1170, the writer Lu You also traveled along the Canal from Shaoxing to the Yangtze River, keeping a diary of his journey.

Later, famous travelers like Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta also used the Grand Canal during their visits to China. In 1488, a Korean scholar named Choe Bu traveled the whole length of the Canal on his way to Korea and wrote about his experiences. In 1600, the explorer Matteo Ricci used the Canal to travel to Beijing. Even in 1793, part of Lord Macartney’s embassy traveled south on the Canal after their visit to Jehol. In 1848, Robert Fortune used the Canal to reach Hang Chow Foo while searching for tea plants.