A grand site to visit
Print Edition
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest man-made waterway in the world. At 1,747 kilometers, it is 16 times the length of the Suez Canal and 33 times the Panama Canal.
From Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south, the canal passes through a number of provinces and major cities, past five major river systems. On one of its southern shores sits Suzhou.
In fact, the city in ancient times figured in the canal’s inception. In the Spring and Autumn Period (722-481 BC), Fuchai, ruler of the Wu state that eventually became present-day Suzhou, was off to the north trying to conquer a neighboring state. He ordered a canal be constructed to facilitate the deployment of troops and munitions.
Work began in 486 BC, and the various stretches of the canal were finally completed and linked together during the Sui Dynasty (AD 581–618). The canal underwent almost total reconstruction between 1411 and 1415.
Its importance in trade and flood control etched the canal into the heritage of Chinese history. Today it’s an attraction for visitors to Suzhou.
The Suzhou branch of the canal originally ran from Wuxi, through Hushu Gate to Feng Bridge, then east to Changmen Gate. Later modifications changed the course a bit.
Suzhou’s nickname as a “water town” comes from its long association with the canal and its offshoots.
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