Unesco description
The Grand Canal is a vast waterway system in the north-eastern and central-eastern plains of China, running from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang province in the south. Constructed in sections from the 5th century BC onwards, it was conceived as a unified means of communication for the Empire for the first time in the 7th century AD (Sui dynasty). This led to a series of gigantic construction sites, creating the world’s largest and most extensive civil engineering project prior to the Industrial Revolution. It formed the backbone of the Empire’s inland communication system, transporting grain and strategic raw materials, and supplying rice to feed the population. By the 13th century it consisted of more than 2,000 km of artificial waterways, linking five of China’s main river basins. It has played an important role in ensuring the country’s economic prosperity and stability and is still in use today as a major means of communication.

Partial sites

• No.160 Site of Hanjia Granary
• Site of Huiloa Granary
• Zhengzhou Section of Tongji Canal
• Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal
• Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal
• Canal Site at Liuzi
• Si County Section of Tongji Canal
• Hua County and Xun County Section of Wei Canal (Yongji Canal)
• Site of Liyang Granary
• Qingkou Complex
• Site of Caoyun Governor’s Mansion
• Yangzhou Section of Huaiyang Canal
• Changzhou City Section of Jiangnan Canal
• Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal
• Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal
• Jiaxing-Hangzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal
• Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal
• Hangzhou Xiaoshan – Shaoxing Section of Zhedong Canal
• Shangyu-YuyaoSection of Zhedong Canal
• Ningbo Section of Zhedong Canal
• Ningbo Sanjiangkou
• Old Beijing City Section of Tonghui Canal
• Tongzhou Section of Tonghui Canal
• Sanchkou Section of Bei Canal and Nana Canal in Tianjin
• Cangzhou-Dezhou Section of Nan Canal
• Linqing Section of Huitong Canal
• Yanggu Section of Huitong Canal
• Nanwang Complex
• Weishan Section of Huitong Canal
• Taierzhuang Section of Zhong Canal
• Suqian Section of Zhong Canal