The Grand Canal is a 1,240 mile waterway. It connects Beijing to Hangzhou. The Grand Canal has 24 locks and 60 bridges all the way through itself. They traded rice or other crops. Sui Yangdi used older waterways that have been used to make it easier to dig. It was very expensive because of the size and what they wanted to accomplish with the trading and new ships. The canal started it great building in 486 (B.C). This happened to be the period of time when the Zhou Dynasty was in power. Everyone saw so much more of it and it was extended. The people wanted the Grand Canal to become something amazing and that it would be accessible to everyone. The extension went on for about another 5-6 years(605-610 A.D). Unfortunately, the slaves or peasants where responsible for building it, the slaves and peasants were put under so much pressure and their living conditions where terrible. The map to the lrfy shows exactly where the Grand Canal had run.
By: Isabella Granero