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The Ancient Canal

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The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
The Ancient Canal
Address:
Around Guangling District, Yangzhou 225001, China

The Grand Canal, known to the Chinese as the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal , a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest as well as the oldest canal or artificial river in the world and a famous tourist destination. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou, linking the Yellow River and Yangtze River. The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BC, but the various sections were first connected during the Sui dynasty . Dynasties in 1271-1633 significantly rebuilt the canal and altered its route to supply their capital Beijing. The total length of the Grand Canal is 1,776 km . Its greatest height is reached in the mountains of Shandong, at a summit of 42 m . Ships in Chinese canals did not have trouble reaching higher elevations after the pound lock was invented in the 10th century, during the Song dynasty , by the government official and engineer Qiao Weiyue. The canal has been admired by many throughout history including Japanese monk Ennin , Persian historian Rashid al-Din , Korean official Choe Bu , and Italian missionary Matteo Ricci .Historically, periodic flooding of the Yellow River threatened the safety and functioning of the canal. During wartime the high dikes of the Yellow River were sometimes deliberately broken in order to flood advancing enemy troops. This caused disaster and prolonged economic hardships. Despite temporary periods of desolation and disuse, the Grand Canal furthered an indigenous and growing economic market in China's urban centers since the Sui period. It has allowed faster trading and has improved China's economy. The southern portion remains in heavy use to the present day.
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