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The map below shows the major canals of China. The Grand Canal, with 1,747 km the longest artificial waterway of the world, was begun in the 6th century BC and upgraded in the 4th century BC. A change of the river bed of the Hwang Ho led to major adjustments and new canal routes.
The Old and New Pien Canals are part of the Grand Canal system. The Mongol Yüan dynasty extended the canal to its capital Beijing.
The Grand Canal is still a major transport route; its last major upgrade was in 1958 - 1964.
Trager, T. R. (1965) Geography of China. University of London Press, London