The World's Oldest and Longest Canal: The Grand Canal of China

The tradition of diverting water from rivers into canals for agriculture is ancient. Every country in the world has small and large canals for irrigation. Among them, China's Grand Canal is the oldest. Connecting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, this canal was built between 581 and 618 AD and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The total length of the Grand Canal is 1,776 kilometers. In the mountains of Shandong, it passes at an elevation of 42 meters. It might seem surprising how canal water can travel uphill! Later, in the 10th century, a device called the "pound lock" was developed in China. Using mechanical gates, this mechanism raises both the canal water and the boats within it to higher elevations.
Different sections of the Grand Canal were built across different eras. Its construction continued despite challenges such as wars and devastating floods. Today, this canal begins in Beijing and ends in Hangzhou, meeting rivers such as the Hai, Huai, and Qiantang along the way. The canal is used for boat and ship navigation.