The Grand Canal is the largest man-made waterway in the world. With a length of over 1,800 kilometers and a width of up to 40 meters, it still connects the city of Beijing with the fertile Yangtze River Delta today. Parts of the canal were built over 2,400 years ago, such as the Han Canal. The Hong-Gou Canal, dating back to the 6th to 4th century BC, is believed to be China's first artificial waterway. During the Qin and Han dynasties, various canal projects were undertaken for both transportation and irrigation purposes.
Along the route of the Grand Canal, beautiful water towns emerged that have not lost their charm to this day. Among the most famous in Jiangsu Province are Tongli, Luzhi, and Zhouzhuang.
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