Grand+Canal

=Grand Canal=



The Grand Canal was built during the Sui dynasty by Emperor Yangdi. The Grand Canal was built to connect North and South China. It provided better communication and trade access between the two regions as all of China's rivers flow on a west-east axis. It allowed millet to travel to the south and rice to the north. As China's populations increased it was necessary for better communications and trade networks. It was also built so that Yangdi would have better control over the southern courts and government. It also allowed better tax collection in the form of agricultural produce which could then be sent to areas threatened by drought or famine. The Grand Canal was an engineering achievement at 1200 miles long and generally 40 paces wide.

Back to Unit 4 Terms Created by Max Crawford 11/9/08 Edited by Allie Pinosky: 11.09.08 Edited by Alexa DeAntonio 11/10/08