China's Grand Canal

Timeline

1. 1251Jiangnan Canal (Lin'an to Zhenjiang section) · Liangzhe CircuitDuring the Song–Mongol wars, the Southern Song relied on the Jiangnan canal to maintain grain, fodder, and arms transport between Lin'an and the Huai–Yangtze front; locks, dams, and warehouses were set up along the canal, with merchant and official vessels traveling day and night, making it the logistical lifeline sustaining the long war of resistance.
2. c. 1259Yangzhou and Huai'an canal hubs · HuaidongThe Southern Song set up transport commissions at key canal nodes to manage grain transport, dredging waterways and repairing locks to ensure grain from producing regions reached Lin'an via the canal; the canal also carried goods such as Jingdezhen porcelain, connecting inland kilns with southeastern ports.