Travel to Beijing via Air China and experience a once in a lifetime opportunity that is guaranteed to take your breath away. There is so much to visit in and around China and especially in the capital city of Beijing.
The Grand Canal in China is also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou. The Grand Canal is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. Starting in Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou. The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BC, although the various sections were finally combined during the Sui Dynasty (581–618 CE).
The total length of the Grand Canal is 1,776 km (1,103 miles). Its highest height is reached in the mountains of Shandong, at a summit of 42 m (138 ft). Ships in Chinese canals did not have trouble reaching this higher elevation after the pound lock was invented in the 10th century during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). Created by the government official and engineer Qiao Weiyo the pound lock allowed the water in the canal to be stationary in certain area, making it easy to maneuver. The canal’s size and grandeur won it the admiration of many throughout history, and is still a favorite tourist attraction. A trip on the canal allows you to see parts of China from a different prospective.
In the past, periodic flooding of the adjacent Yellow River threatened the safety and functioning of the canal. During wartime the high dikes of the Yellow River were sometimes deliberately broken in order to flood advancing enemy troops. This caused disaster and prolonged economic hardships, as the canal was becoming an important transport mechanism. Despite temporary periods of desolation and disuse, the Grand Canal furthered an indigenous and growing economic market in China’s urban centers through all the ages since the Sui period.
From the Tang to Qing dynasties, the Grand Canal served as the main route between northern and southern China and was fundamental for the transport of grain to Beijing. Although it was mainly used for shipping grain, it also transported other commodities and the corridor along the canal developed into an important economic belt. Records show that, at its peak, every year more than 8,000 boats transported 240,000–360,000 metric tons of grain. The convenience of transport also enabled former rulers to lead inspection tours to southern China. The Grand Canal also enabled cultural exchange and political integration to mature between the north and south of China. The canal even made a distinct impression on some of China’s early European visitors.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the canal has been used primarily to transport vast amounts of bulk goods such as bricks, gravel, sand, diesel and coal. The Jianbi ship locks on the Yangtze are currently handling some 75,000,000 tons each year, and the Li Canal is forecast to reach 100,000,000 tons in the next few years.
The great canal offers views and an opportunity to unwind along the most historic and influential river in China. So book your China Tour now and relish a relaxing cruise.
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