And for this reason, the Hangou Canal was connected to the Huai and Jiang rivers. King Fu Chai wanted a simpler way to transport supplies north in case he needed to go to war with the states of Song, Lu, and others.
In its first year, Fu Chai, the king of the state of Wu, commanded his men to dig the Hangou Canal, which was the first step toward creating China’s Grand Canal. Though this was when the canal was originally built, it went through several renovations and enlargements over the centuries until it became the massive waterway system of today. The history of China’s Grand Canal can be traced all the way back to 468 BC. (Groverlynn / CC BY-SA 4.0 ) The First Section of China’s Grand Canal Dates to 468 BC! Agricultural harvests from these lands were then shipped across the country via the canal, making the region a self-sustainable economic region.Ĭhina’s Grand Canal during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Because of increased access to water, land adjacent to the canal is extremely fertile, which has significantly improved agriculture in the area over the centuries. The construction of the Grand Canal has also impacted the surrounding land over the years. Shipped goods frequently include coal, gravel, diesel, sand, and construction materials. Trading that was once laborious and time-consuming is now significantly faster thanks to the canal, which is still in use for the transport of bulk materials and large containers on barges between north and south China. Because of this increased access to goods, the Grand Canal has long served as key transport system in China’s economy.
Throughout history, the Grand Canal has provided protection and increased access to goods for the Chinese people. Locals hope that increased interest in the lake will result in its restoration as a source of water for the Grand Canal. Now, the lake is too shallow to feed the canal and is used exclusively as a recreational spot. The lake was protected against exploitation for many years, though protections dwindled over the centuries as different governmental entities changed protection laws regarding the lake. Lake Lianhu is a manmade lake that was built to feed the canal the water it needed. Because the canal is man-made, water must be manually fed into the waterway so that the water is high enough for bigger ships to pass through. Historically, Lake Lianhu has fed water into the canal near its Jiangnan opening. Ingenious Pre-Incan Hydrologic System Could Stabilize Modern Water Supply in Peru.Buried Roman Canal and Road Unearthed in the Netherlands.In some locations, such as along the Yellow River, dikes that normally held back water were destroyed to cause massive canal flooding around the canal to “wash” away enemy troops and protect Chinese forces upstream. In times of war, the canal was used as a Chinese defense mechanism against enemy troops. Once the canal was built, it was much easier for grain in the south to be transported to the north, where most Chinese political and military leaders resided. The canal’s maximum height is 42 meters (138 feet), in the high mountains of Shandong, where a pound lock is used to raise or lower the ships in the water.Ĭhina’s Grand Canal essentially reunified and connected North China with South China, via two of the country’s biggest rivers, and formed the basis of a sophisticated all-China trade network. It begins in Beijing and ends in Hangzhou and is “officially” 1,104 miles (1,776 kilometers) in length. The canal links the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, passing through the provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Hebei. China’s Grand Canal: A Genius Waterway Masterpiece!Ĭhina’s Grand Canal, known in China as the Jing-Hang Grand Canal, is the longest canal in the world. In this article, we’re going to go through exactly what the canal is, what it does, and why it was built. Though China’s Grand Canal is still used for trade and transport today, how it was first built and developed is historically fascinating in many regards. In fact, China’s Grand Canal is the longest manmade waterway in the world, reaching just over 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) in length! One of the best-known works created in ancient China is China’s Grand Canal, a manmade waterway that still links several Chinese cities for trade and travel. Ancient China is known for its famous dynasties, rich culture, and some of the first “advanced” technological innovations in the world.
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