What is the Grand Canal?
Q: What is the Grand Canal?
A: The Grand Canal or Dayunhe or Jing–Hang Grand Canal is the longest and oldest canal and artificial river in the world. It connects China's two longest rivers, the Yellow River and the Yangzi.
Q: When was it built?
A: The oldest parts of the canal were built during the 5th century BC, with additional parts added by the Sui dynasty (581–618 AD). Between 1271–1633, it was improved and built upon by both the Yuan dynasty and Ming dynasty.
Q: How long is it?
A: The total length of the Grand Canal is 1,776 km (1,104 mi).
Q: What is its greatest height?
A: Its greatest height is 42 m (138 ft) near Shandong mountains.
Q: Who invented pound locks for ships to travel through?
A: Song Dynasty engineer Qiao Weiyue invented pound locks in 10th century which allowed ships to travel higher and lower through the canal.
Q: Who has been amazed by this engineering feat throughout history?
A: People who have been amazed by this engineering feat throughout history include Japanese monk Ennin (794–864), Persian historian Rashid al-Din (1247–1318), Korean official Choe Bu (1454–1504), and Italian missionary Matteo Ricci (1552–1610).
Q: What impact has this had on China's economy?
A:The Canal has greatly improved China's economy and increased trade between north and south. It is still heavily used today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
