The Grand Canal

Overview

The Grand Canal is a vast waterway system in the north-eastern and central-eastern plains of China, running from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang province in the south. Constructed in sections from the 5th century BC onwards, it was conceived as a unified means of communication for the Empire for the first time in the 7th century AD (Sui dynasty). This led to a series of gigantic construction sites, creating the world’s largest and most extensive civil engineering project prior to the Industrial Revolution. It formed the backbone of the Empire’s inland communication system, transporting grain and strategic raw materials, and supplying rice to feed the population. By the 13th century it consisted of more than 2,000 km of artificial waterways, linking five of China’s main river basins. It has played an important role in ensuring the country’s economic prosperity and stability and is still in use today as a major means of communication.

Selection Criteria

(i)(iii)(iv)

Components(31 locations)

• •Qingkou Complex1443bis-010
• •Nanwang Complex1443bis-028
• •Ningbo Sanjiangkou1443bis-021
• •Canal Site at Liuzi1443bis-006
• •Site of Huiloa Granary1443bis-002
• •Site of Liyang Granary1443bis-009
• •No.160 Site of Hanjia Granary1443bis-001
• •Suqian Section of Zhong Canal1443bis-031
• •Ningbo Section of Zhedong Canal1443bis-020
• •Yanggu Section of Huitong Canal1443bis-027
• •Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal1443bis-015
• •Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal1443bis-017
• •Linqing Section of Huitong Canal1443bis-026
• •Weishan Section of Huitong Canal1443bis-029
• •Zhengzhou Section of Tongji Canal1443bis-003
• •Si County Section of Tongji Canal1443bis-007
• •Tongzhou Section of Tonghui Canal1443bis-023
• •Yangzhou Section of Huaiyang Canal1443bis-012
• •Taierzhuang Section of Zhong Canal1443bis-030
• •Site of Caoyun Governor’s Mansion1443bis-011
• •Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal1443bis-014
• •Cangzhou-Dezhou Section of Nan Canal1443bis-025
• •Shangyu-YuyaoSection of Zhedong Canal1443bis-019
• •Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal1443bis-005
• •Changzhou City Section of Jiangnan Canal1443bis-013
• •Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal1443bis-004
• •Old Beijing City Section of Tonghui Canal1443bis-022
• •Jiaxing-Hangzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal\t1443bis-016
• •Hangzhou Xiaoshan – Shaoxing Section of Zhedong Canal1443bis-018
• •Sanchkou Section of Bei Canal and Nana Canal in Tianjin1443bis-024
• •Hua County and Xun County Section of Wei Canal (Yongji Canal)1443bis-008

Details

Countries

China

ISO Codes

CN

Area

20,819.11 ha

Coordinates

34.6939, 112.4683