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Most people have heard of the Great Wall of China, but not many people outside of China know about the Grand Canal. This man-made waterway- known in China as Da Yunhe- is 1,700 kilometers long and some parts of it are more than 2,000 years old. It links the north of China with Hangzhou, a city in the southern part of the country. It’s the longest man-made waterway in the world.

It was built as a way to transport grain （谷物）from the rich agricultural land in China’s south to cities in the north. In fact, it’s not one canal, but a system of canals and rivers linked together. It’s still an important part of the transport system in China. Thousands of boats use it every day to transport grain and many other types of cargo.

Now the Chinese government is doing new work on the Grand Canal. It is making parts of it deeper, so bigger ships can use it. The canal will also help to move water. There is a lot of rain in the south of China, but not as much in the north. The canal will carry millions of liters of water from the south to the north.

The Grand Canal is much less famous than the Great Wall, and not very many tourists visit it. But it’s possible to go on a cruise （乘舟任游览）along some of the oldest parts of the canal. Passengers on these cruises see beautiful parts of China that other visitors don’t see.