The Grand Canal of China is the longest and one of the oldest artificial waterways in the world, linking the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins across more than a thousand kilometers between Beijing and Hangzhou. Sections of it date back more than two thousand years, but it was extended and unified into a continuous route primarily during the Sui dynasty, and it served for centuries as the principal route for moving grain and other goods between southern China's productive farmland and the imperial capitals of the north. Though parts of it fell into disrepair or disuse over time, long stretches remain in use for shipping today, making it one of the oldest continuously used transport works in the world.
Facts
Completion YearThe oldest sections date to the early 5th century BC; the connected system was completed under Emperor Yang of Sui in 609. SignificanceThe longest artificial waterway in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 1 Classification
Heritage DesignationInternationally Recognized (World Heritage) 1 Sources
1. Wikipedia: Grand Canal (China)
WikipediaThird paragraph, second sentence (Sui-era completion)
The network was expanded and completed by Emperor Yang of Sui in 609, linking fertile Jiangnan in the south to his capital at Luoyang in the Central Plain and to his armies in the northern frontiers.
Lead section, second sentence (length record)
It is the longest artificial waterway in the world and a World Heritage Site.
Modern era section
the portion south of the Yellow River remains in heavy use by barges carrying bulk cargo.
Introduction, world heritage status
It is the longest artificial waterway in the world and a World Heritage Site.
Article lead
is the longest artificial waterway in the world and a World Heritage Site
In Group: Historic and Inland Canals, Lead sentence
The Grand Canal (Chinese: 大运河; pinyin: Dà yùnhé) is a system of interconnected canals linking various major rivers and lakes in North and East China, serving as an important waterborne transport infrastructure between the north and the south during Medieval and premodern China.
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