The Grand Canal
Grand Canal, a canal in eastern China. The world's longest, it winds northward about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from Hangzhou to Tianjin, linking the Yangtze, Huang He, and other rivers. The canal was built in sections, the earliest dating from the 6th century B.C. and the last completed by Kublai Khan late in the 13th century A.D. It has been rebuilt several times, most recently since 1958 with an extension to Beijing.
The Grand Canal has long been one of China's most important waterways. It is still important today and is used primarily for local traffic by sampans and small barges.