Dredging of the Grand Canal under the Yuan

Timeline

1. 1290–1291Huitong Canal (Jining to Linqing section) · ShandongIn the 27th year of Zhiyuan, the Jianghuai Branch Secretariat petitioned to dredge Yangzhou's salt river; in October of the same year the Huitong Wensi River Channel Superintendent Office was established, a fourth-rank office specifically managing the Huitong Canal and the Wensi river system. The court allocated military laborers for annual maintenance to address bottlenecks such as narrow banks, shallow water, and silt blockage.
2. 1292–1293Tonghui Canal (Tongzhou to Dadu) · North ChinaBy imperial order, Du Shui Jian Guo Shoujing dredged the grain canal from Tongzhou to Dadu, diverting the Baifu springs into Jishuitan, east to Tongzhou where it joins the Bai River, and built twenty locks and dams. Work began in the spring of the 29th year of Zhiyuan and was completed in the autumn of the 30th year, receiving the name Tonghui Canal, greatly facilitating grain transport to the capital.