Grand Canal Grain Transport System

Timeline

1. c. 900–959Along the Bian River · ChinaAfter the chaos of the late Tang, the Bian River silted up; the Later Liang, Later Jin, and other Five Dynasties regimes gradually dredged it, restoring the grain transport route from Jianghuai via the Bian River to Kaifeng and laying the economic foundation for the Northern Song's establishment of its capital at Bianliang.
2. 960–980Kaifeng grain transport wharf · HenanThe Northern Song established offices such as transport commissioners and grain transport superintendents to manage grain collection and transport, set up grain depots in Huainan, Liangzhe, and other regions, and sent grain boats north along the Bian River into the capital, forming an institutionalized annual grain transport system.
3. c. 990–1000Bian River-Huai River-Yangtze grain transport route · ChinaUnder Emperor Zhenzong, annual grain shipments from the southeast exceeded six million shi, with Bian River grain boats coming and going ceaselessly; locks and dams along the river regulated water levels, and the grain transport system became the main artery supporting Northern Song finance and urban prosperity.