In the late Spring and Autumn Period (722–481 BC), King Fuchai of Wu, ruler of the State of Wu (present-day Suzhou), ventured north to conquer the neighboring State of Qi. He ordered a canal be constructed for trading purposes, as well as a means to ship ample supplies north in case his forces should engage the northern states of Song and Lu.[6] This canal became known as the Han Gou (邗沟 Han-country Conduit).[7] Work began in 486 BC, from south of Yangzhou to north of Huaian in Jiangsu, and within three years the Han Gou had connected the Yangtze River to the Huai River by means of existing waterways, lakes, and marshes.[6] Han Gou (邗沟) is known as the second oldest section of the later Grand Canal since the Hong Gou (Canal of the Flying Geese, or Far-Flung Canal) most likely preceded it.[8] It linked the Yellow River near Kaifeng to the Si and Bian rivers and became the model for the shape of the Grand Canal in the north.[9] The exact date of the Hong Gous construction is uncertain; it is first mentioned by the diplomat Su Qin in 330 BC when discussing state boundaries.[7] The historian Sima Qian (145–90 BC) dated it much earlier than the 4th century BC, attributing it to the work of Yu the Great; modern scholars now consider it to belong to the 6th century BC.[7]
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 02:05:13 +0000
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