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China
Grand Canal is one of the greatest projects constructed in ancient
China. China
Grand Canal is the world's oldest and longest canal, far surpassing
the next two grand canals of the world: Suez and Panama Canal. China
Grand Canal begins in the north at Beijing and ends at Hangzhou.
This has earned it the name of the Jing-Hang Canal. The famous China
Grand Canal is 1,795 Km (1,114 miles) long with 24 locks and some
60 bridges. The building of the Grand Canal in China began
in 486 B.C. during the Wu Dynasty.China
Grand Canal was extended during the Qi Dynasty,
and later by Emperor Yangdi of Sui Dynasty during six years of furious
construction from 605-610 AD. In 604 AD, Emperor Yangdi of the Sui
dynasty made a tour to Luoyang. In the second year, he moved the
capital to Luoyang and ordered the canalization of the Grand Canal.
This task lasted for six years and thousands of labors involved in
it. Finally, those original scrappy canals were joined up and the
Grand Canal formed.
Tangqi town in Yuhang county of Hangzhou is a famous ancient town on
the Grand Canal in China. Till today, 300-year-old seven-arched Tongji
Bridge and the ancient streets along the canal are well preserved.
The Grand Canal communicating Yangtze River, Yellow River, Huaihe River,
Haihe River and Qiantang River, flows through Beijing, Tianjin,
Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang with Hangzhou at its southernmost
end. Since most of China's major rivers flow from west to east, the
China Grand Canal running north and south provides an important connector
between several minor river systems, being restored as a water-diversion
conduit. The China Grand Canal continues to function as an important
waterway, connecting Hangzhou with distant Beijing (in 610 AD); it casts
a living portrait of ancient Chinese life that remain much the same
today.
From the aspects of improving communication between north and south,
promoting economic and cultural exchange and strengthening the unification
of the country, China Grand Canal, like The Great Wall, is an extremely
stupendous project in the history of Chinese civilization. OK, come
to see China Grand Canal yourself if you like.
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