Grand Canal of China
| Grand Canal of China | |
|---|---|
Watercraft moving across the Grand Canal of China in Suzhou
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| Specifications | |
| Length | 1,115 miles (1,794 km) |
| History | |
| Construction began | Sui dynasty |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Beijing |
| End point | Hangzhou |
| Connects to | Hai River, Yellow River, Huai River, Yangzi River, Qiantang River |
| Official name | The Grand Canal |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 2014 (38th session) |
| Reference no. | 1443 |
| State Party | China |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Grand Canal | |||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg)
"Grand Canal" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
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| Simplified Chinese | 大运河 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 大運河 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Great Transport River" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 京杭大运河 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 京杭大運河 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Dà Yùnhé |
| Wade–Giles | Ta4 Yün4-he2 |
| IPA | [tâ ŷn.xɤ̌] |
| Wu | |
| Romanization | Du平 Yun上 Ghu平 |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Jyutping | Daai6 Wan6 Ho4 |
| Southern Min | |
| Hokkien POJ | Tāi-ūn-hô |
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Jīng-Háng Dà Yùnhé |
| Wade–Giles | Ching1-Hang2 Ta4 Yün4-he2 |
| IPA | [tɕíŋxǎŋ tâ ŷnxɤ̌] |
| Wu | |
| Romanization | Cin平 On入 Du平 Yun上 Ghu平 |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Jyutping | Ging1 Hong4 Daai6 Wan6 Ho4 |
| Southern Min | |
| Hokkien POJ | Kiaⁿ-hâng-tāi-ūn-hô |
The Grand Canal (also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest 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, although the various sections were finally combined during the Sui dynasty (581–618 AD).
The total length of the Grand Canal is 1,776 km (1,104 mi). Its greatest height is reached in the mountains of Shandong, at a summit of 42 m (138 ft). 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 (960–1279), by the government official and engineer Qiao Weiyue. The canal has been admired by many throughout history including 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).
Historically, periodic flooding of the adjacent 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 constant heavy use to the present day.
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