The Grand Canal

UNESCO-listed Grand Canal stretching 1,794 km from Beijing to Hangzhou — the longest artificial waterway in the world, built over 2,500 years and still partially navigable.

The Grand Canal of China, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage property in 2014, is the longest artificial waterway ever constructed, stretching approximately 1,794 km from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south. Construction began in the 5th century BCE during the Spring and Autumn period and continued in phases over two and a half millennia. The canal's most significant expansion occurred under the Sui dynasty (581–618 CE) when Emperor Yangdi connected existing waterways to create a unified north–south artery, and again under the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 CE) when the route was straightened to eliminate a westward detour through Luoyang.

The canal functioned as the backbone of China's internal trade and tax-grain transport system for over a millennium. Rice, silk, porcelain and salt from the south were shipped north to feed the capital and supply the imperial court, while northward-flowing grain enabled China's northern cities to sustain populations far beyond the agricultural capacity of their immediate surroundings. The canal's importance only declined with the development of coastal shipping and, eventually, railways.

Today the southern sections between Hangzhou and Suzhou remain commercially navigable, and barge traffic is still a common sight. The most rewarding stretches for visitors are the historic canal districts of Hangzhou (Gongchen Bridge area and Qinghefang), Suzhou (Shantang Street), Yangzhou and Jining, where restored embankments, warehouses, bridges and lock gates preserve the canal's heritage character. Boat cruises along the Hangzhou section offer a relaxed perspective on canal life.

The UNESCO inscription encompasses 27 sections of the canal and 58 associated heritage sites across 8 provinces and municipalities.