Its greatest height is reached in the mountains of Shandong, at a summit of 42 m (138 ft). The total length of the Grand Canal is 1,776 km (1,104 mi). The canal was built by conscripted laborers and connected the Yellow River in the north with the Yangzi River in the south, which made it much easier to transport grain from the south to the centers of political and military power in north China. The Grand Canal played a huge role in reunifying north and south China. Dynasties in 1271–1633 significantly restored and rebuilt the canal and altered its route to supply their capital. The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BC, but the various sections were first connected during the Sui dynasty (581–618 AD). Starting in 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. 'Capital–Hangzhou Grand Canal', or more commonly, as the「大运河」('Grand Canal')), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. The Grand Canal, known to the Chinese as the Jing–Hang Grand Canal ( simplified Chinese: 京杭大运河 traditional Chinese: 京杭大運河 pinyin: Jīng-Háng Dà Yùnhé lit.
'Grand Canal' in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
