Ming Grand Canal Renovated

1430

The Yongle and Xuande emperors completed a massive renovation of the Grand Canal connecting Hangzhou to Beijing, including new pound locks, dredged channels, and fortified granaries spaced along its entire length. The waterway carried six million shi of tribute grain northward annually, feeding the capital and its enormous garrison. It was the longest artificial waterway in the world, China's economic spine, and a logistical achievement no contemporary state could match.