The Grand Canal

The Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is an ancient man-made waterway that dates back to the 5th century B.C. during China's Spring and Au- tumn period. With a history spanning over 2500 years, it traverses the North China Plain and the Yangtze Plain, encompassing three sections: the Sui and Tang Grand Canal, the Beijing-Hang- zhou Grand Canal, and the Eastern Zhejiang Canal. Stretching over 3000 kilometers, it passes through eight provincial-level regions and connects the five major river systems, namely the Hai- he River, the Yellow River, the Huaihe River, the Yangtze River, and the Qiantang River. The canal served as a major artery of transportation between the north and south in ancient China.

The Grand Canal was a massive engineering project built and managed by the state, aimed at ensuring safe transportation of grain and maintaining political stability and national unity. It was also intended to address natural resource imbalances between northern and southern China and development needs, by facilitat- ing large-scale distribution of goods across the country and con- necting the political and economic centers. The canal facilitated economic and cultural exchanges between different regions and played an irreplaceable role in ensuring national security, political stability, economic prosperity, and social development.

One of the greatest engineering marvels of ancient China, comparable to the Great Wall, and a magnificent project of water conservancy, the Grand Canal holds the record for being the longest canal in the world as well as the earliest and largest one ever excavated. In 2014, the Grand Canal was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

大运河

大运河是中国古代开凿的人工运河，始建于公元前5世纪的春秋时期，至今已有2500多年的历史。大运河纵贯中国东部华北平原和长江中下游平原，包括隋唐大运河、京杭大运河和浙东大运河三部分，全长3000多千米，地跨8个省级行政区，沟通了海河、黄河、淮河、长江、钱塘江五大水系，是中国古代南北交通的大动脉。

大运河是为确保粮食运输安全、维护政权稳定和国家统一，由国家投资开凿和管理的巨大运河工程体系，也是解决中国南北社会和自然资源不平衡的重要措施，实现了在广大国土范围内南北方物资的大跨度调配，沟通了国家的政治中心与经济中心，促进了不同地域间的经济、文化交流，在国家安全、政治稳定、经济繁荣、社会发展、文化交流等方面发挥了不可替代的作用。

大运河是与长城相媲美的中国古代伟大工程，是中国古代劳动人民创造的一项伟大的水利建筑，是世界上最长的运河，也是世界上开凿最早、规模最大的运河。2014年，大运河列入联合国教科文组织世界文化遗产名录。