China Grand Canal, or the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, was a giant irrigation project of ancient China. It is one of the greatest projects constructed in ancient China. With a history of over 1,400 years and a length of 1,794 kilometers, it is one of the world's oldest canals and is the longest man-made river in the world. It is far surpassing the next two grand canals of the world: Suez and Panama Canal. China Grand Canal begins in the north at Beijing and ends at Hangzhou. This has earned it the name of the Jing-Hang Canal. The famous China Grand Canal is 1,795 Km (1,114 miles) long with 24 locks and some 60 bridges.

The Grand Canal was the major transport artery between north and south China during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, contributing greatly to the economic and cultural exchange between north and south---a role denied to the large natural rivers that mostly flow from west to east. Owing to the development of the maritime transport between north and south and the opening of the Tianjin-Pukou and Beijing -Hankou railways after the mid-19th century, the role of the Grand Canal was greatly reduced and many sections of it fell into disrepair or became choked with mud. Except for the section in Shandong which is only partly serviceable, many other sections are navigable in some of the seasons while the 800-kilomerer stretch from Jiangsu to Zhejiang open to year-round shipping.