Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is a vast inland waterway system in China that links the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins and connects the north and south by canal. It is the longest and one of the oldest engineered waterways in the world, with major construction phases extending back to ancient times and substantial extension under the Sui dynasty.

The canal system spans several provinces and runs for roughly 1,700 kilometres in its main Beijing-Hangzhou alignment, passing through or near major cities and serving historically as a transport artery for grain, goods and people. Many stretches feature historic canal towns, locks, towpaths and city works that reflect centuries of engineering and commerce.

Sections of the Grand Canal were expanded, repaired and realigned across multiple dynasties to meet economic and administrative needs; it remained a strategic transport route until modern rail and road networks took over much freight traffic. Parts of the canal network are protected as cultural heritage and retain functioning waterborne traffic and historic urban canals.

The Grand Canal traverses eastern China, connecting the area around Beijing in the north with the Yangtze Delta around Hangzhou and other major river and urban centres.

• Length: Runs over roughly 1,700 kilometres and is the longest man-made canal system in the world, connecting northern and southern China for centuries.
• History outline: Constructed in sections beginning in ancient times with major unification and expansion under the Sui dynasty in the 7th century, and later maintained by successive dynasties.

What to See #

• Beijing-Hangzhou route: The Beijing-Hangzhou section links the political and cultural core around Beijing with the economic and agricultural regions downstream, running through multiple provinces and major cities along roughly 1,700 kilometres of waterway.