TIPS
*Takealongenoughwarmclothesduetothebigtemperaturedifferencesinsummerbetweendayandnightinthemountains.
*Wearsunscreencreamassunlightisstrongathighaltitudes.
INFO
*Location:Tomur,KalajunKuerdening,BayinbukukeandBogda,Xinjiang,northwestChina
*BestTimetoVisit:Summer
GrandCanalXIHUATheGrandCanalformsavastinlandwaterwaysysteminthenorth-easternandcentraleasternplainsofChina,passingthrougheightofthecountry鈥檚present-dayprovinces.ItrunsfromthecapitalBeijinginthenorthtoZhejiangProvinceinthesouth.ConstructedinsectionsfromthefifthcenturyB.C.onward,itwasconceivedasaunifiedmeansofcommunicationfortheChineseEmpireforthefirsttimeintheseventhcenturyA.D.(SuiDynasty).Thisledtoaseriesofgiganticworksites,creatingtheworld鈥檚largestandmostextensivecivilengineeringprojectensemblepriortotheIndustrialRevolution.Completedandmaintainedbysuccessivedynasties,itformedthebackboneoftheEmpire鈥檚inlandcommunicationssystem.
ItsmanagementwasmadepossibleoveralongperiodbymeansoftheCaoyunsystem,theimperialmonopolyforthetransportationofgrainandstrategicrawmaterials,andforthetaxationandcontroloftraffic.Thesystemenabledthesupplyofricetofeedthepopulation,theunifiedadministrationoftheterritoryandthetransportoftroops.TheGrandCanalreachedanewpeakinthe13thcentury(YuanDynasty),providingaunifiedinlandnavigationnetworkconsistingofmorethan2,000kmofartificialwaterways,linkingfiveofthemostimportantriverbasinsinChina,includingtheYellowRiverandtheYangtzeRiver.
TheGrandCanalisthelongestandoldestcanalintheworld,representingthegreatestmasterpieceofhydraulicengineeringinthehistoryofmankind.Itcontributedtothefundamentallinkbetweenthepeasanteconomy,theimperialcourtandthesupplyoffoodtothepopulationandtroops.Stillamajormeansofinternalcommunicationtoday,ithasplayedanimportantroleinensuringtheeconomicprosperityandstabilityofChinaovertheages.
INFOListedasaWorldCulturalHeritagein2014Location:FromBeijingthrougheightprovincestoZhejiang,eastChinaBestTimetoVisit:SpringandautumnTipsVisitonesectionatatime,preferablyatTongzhou(Beijing),Suzhou(Jiangsu,eastChina)orHangzhou(Zhejiang).Aboattouratnightisrecommendedinsomesections(e.g.Suzhou).