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China: Fisherman by the Grand Canal (Da Yunhe) at Beijing East Gate (Beijing Dongmen), Herbert White, 1907

China: Fisherman by the Grand Canal (Da Yunhe) at Beijing East Gate (Beijing Dongmen), Herbert White, 1907

The Grand Canal (also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest canal or artificial river in the world and a famous tourist destination.

Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou, linking the Yellow River and Yangtze River. The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BCE, although the various sections were finally combined during the Sui dynasty (581–618 CE).