The famous canal that connects Beijing and Hangzhou is the longest manmade canal in the world.It extends for1，794 kilometers and has been important in linking both the economies and the cultures of north and south China.It passes through the six provinces and municipalities：Beijing，Hebei，Tianjin，Shandong，Jiangsu，and Zhejiang，and it connects five great water systems：the Yellow River，the Huai River，the Yangtze River，the Qiantang River，and the canal itself.
Construction of the Jing-Hang Canal，as it is known in Chinese，began in the year 486 BC.Waters were finally linked up from one end to the other in 1293，meaning that the work extended over a period of 1，779 years.Inthe course of these years，the canal went through threemajor stages of construction and renovation.
The first was during the 5th century BC，in the latter part of the Spring and Autumn Period.At the time，the ruler of the state of Wu，south of the Yangtze River，was attempting to usurp the position of the warlord of the Central Plains.He needed a logistical supply route for his armies.He mobilized labor to construct the canal from what is now Yangzhou towards the northeast，passing through Sheyang Lake to Huai-an，and entering the Huai River.Water from the Yangtze River was led into the Huai River，and this stretch of 170 kilometers became the earliest section of the Canal.
The second stage was in the early 7th century whenthe Sui Dynasty（581–618）reunified the country.This became the primary period of canal construction.The second Emperor of the Sui decided to move the capital to Luoyang in order to enable control of the vast area south of the Yangtze River.To allow the rich products of the Yangtze River delta area to be transported to Luoyang，he ordered the extension of the previous canal.It is saidthat he also wanted to create an aesthetic enjoyment for people of the rich and populous area around Yangzhou as they boated from Luoyang down to Yangzhou.In the year 605，he mandated the cutting of a canal of over1，000 kilometers extending from Luoyang to Qingjiang in Jiangsu Province，a place now known as Huaiyin.Water was diverted from the Yellow River，curved its way toward the southeast，then merged the waters of the Luo River，the Yellow River and the Huai.This was known as the Tongji Canal.In 608，he ordered that the canal be extended by another 1，000 kilometers towards the north，to a place to the southwest of current Beijing.This section was then known as the Yongji Canal.In610，he again ordered that a 400 kilometers’section be cut from Zhenjiang in Jiangsu province to Hangzhou in Zhejiang province.This section was then called the Jiangnan Canal（“south of the river”canal）.At the time，Hangzhou was the major port city doing foreign trade in China.Han’gou Canal was also reconstructed.A canal that extended1，700 kilometers and linked Hangzhou and Luoyang was then ready，which could allow the passage of boats transporting goods.
