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Ming Grand Canal: Huitong River Management

Type Object Region China Time 1411

During the Yongle era the Huitong River was dug between Jining and Linqing, linking the Wen and Wei rivers so the Grand Canal ran north–south past th…

Timeline

  1. 1411–1414Jining · ShandongThe Yongle emperor ordered Song Li and others to oversee the digging of the Huitong River between Jining and Linqing, diverting the Wen River and building locks to link the north–south water systems, solving the canal's interruption since the late Yuan.
  2. 1415–1499Linqing · ShandongThe Huitong River linked with the Wei River, Tonghui River, and others, opening the Grand Canal for navigation from Hangzhou to Beijing; tribute grain ships moved north along it, and Linqing and Jining became transport hubs.
  3. 1500–1600Dongping Lake · Grand CanalThe court regularly conscripted canal workers to dredge the Huitong River and repair locks and dams, storing water in Dongping Lake to support navigation and ensure tribute ships passed the locks, forming an institutionalized canal management system.
  4. 1600–1644Yellow River section at Xuzhou · Yellow River–canal junctionThe Yellow River frequently breached southward, repeatedly disrupting tribute transport between Xuzhou and Huai'an; though the Huitong River was relatively stable, the overall north–south grain route was fragile, and the tribute-transport crisis worsened at the end of the Ming.

Sources