CIIC:Today's featured article/April 30, 2017

The Grand Canal in Hangzhou

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭大运河) has served as a major south-north transport artery since it was completed in the 13th century during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BC, although the various sections were finally combined into one during the Sui Dynasty (581–618). The canal has experienced numerous expansions and restorations throughout the history. The 1,794-km canal linking five major rivers, namely, Haihe, Yellow, Huaihe, Yangtze, and Qiantangjiang, is the longest and oldest artificial river in the world. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou. (More...)