Construction of the Grand Canal under Emperor Yang
- Date
- 605–609 CE
- Category
- Science, technology & invention
- Region
- China
- Era
- Post-Classical / Medieval
- Significance
Between 605 and 609 the Sui emperor Yang mobilised millions of conscripted labourers to build and link a vast inland waterway system, the Grand Canal, connecting the rice-rich Yangtze valley in the south to the political heartland and capitals of the north.
A central section opened in 605 between Luoyang and the Yangtze, an extension reached Hangzhou in the south, and a northern arm ran toward the vicinity of modern Beijing to support frontier campaigns. Stretching well over 1,700 kilometres, it became the longest artificial waterway in the pre-modern world and integrated China's two economic zones into a single market, allowing grain, troops and goods to move efficiently across the empire. The enormous human cost of the project fuelled the rebellions that destroyed the Sui, but the canal endured as a backbone of Chinese commerce and statecraft for more than a thousand years, underpinning the prosperity of the Tang and Song.
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Empires active in 605–609 CE
- Sassanid Empire224 CE – 651 CE
- Byzantine Empire330 CE – 1453 CE
- Classic Maya Civilization250 CE – 900 CE
- Kingdom of Aksum100 CE – 940 CE
- Pyu City-States200 BCE – 1050 CE
- Dvaravati575 CE – 1100 CE
Related science, technology & invention events
- The Diamond Sutra, the earliest dated printed book11 May 868 CE
- Brahmagupta codifies zero and arithmetic of negatives (Brahmasphutasiddhanta)628 CE
- Bi Sheng invents movable-type printing in Song Chinac. 1040–1048 CE
- Wujing Zongyao records the first gunpowder formulas1044 CE
- First Islamic hospital (bimaristan) founded in Baghdadc. 805 CE
- Al-Khwarizmi composes Al-Jabr and founds algebrac. 820 CE
Further reading
The wider story
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