WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Grand Canal reached a new peak in the 13th century (Yuan Dynasty), providing a unified inland navigation network consisting of more than 2, 000 km of artificial waterways, linking five of the most important river basins in China, including the Yellow River and the Yangtze.

Detailed explanation-2: -This was mainly achieved by linking two of China’s most important river basins, the Yellow River (Huang He) and the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). The canal must ascend a gradual slope to an elevation of more than 40 meters north of the Yangtze.

Detailed explanation-3: -It was built to enable successive Chinese regimes to transport surplus grain from the agriculturally rich Yangtze (Chang) and Huai river valleys to feed the capital cities and large standing armies in northern China.

Detailed explanation-4: -During the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng became a worldwide metropolis. The important reason was that the Grand Canal, which was excavated during the Sui Dynasty, became the main transportation artery for the political and military center of the north and the economic center of the south.