Grand Canal Grain Transport System

Timeline

1. 1161–1165Starting warehouses of Liangzhe and Jiangnan East Circuit grain transport · Jiangnan East CircuitFrom late Shaoxing to early Longxing, the court levied annual quotas of Jiangnan tribute grain and organized it into grain-boat convoys. Grain moved from producing prefectures and armies into canal branches, heading north and turning west through Runzhou, Changzhou, Suzhou, and other places, then south into Lin'an's river network, with transport commissions and local officials supervising canal opening and lock passage.
2. 1166–1170Mingzhou-Lin'an sea transport connection section · Liangzhe CircuitDuring the Qiandao era, some provisions were shipped by sea from Mingzhou and other places to eastern Zhejiang, then transferred to inland waterways and the grain transport system into the capital. Canal and sea transport divided labor and complemented each other, easing pressure on a single waterway; convoy-expediting, inspection, and transfer systems continued to operate throughout this decade.