Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal and Canal Site at Liuzi

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal

   The name Shangqiu is one of the oldest in Chinese history. This was the heartland of the Shang people, whose dynasty ruled the Yellow River plain more than three thousand years ago, and a persistent tradition says that the Shang were such good traders that their name became the word for merchants and commerce, shang. Whether or not the etymology is exact, the town has a good claim to being the cradle of trade. Later, under the Song dynasty, Shangqiu was one of the secondary capitals, known as the Southern Capital, and a major hub for grain, salt and silk.

   Read the complete Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal is where the day begins. Next is Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal.

2. 2. Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal

   The Tongji Canal was one of the great works of the Sui dynasty, dug in the early seventh century as part of the Grand Canal. The emperor Yang ordered it built to link the Yellow River with the Huai River, and it carried grain, soldiers and tribute across the plain for centuries. At its height, it was the main artery between the north and the rich Yangtze delta. It silted up and was abandoned after the Song dynasty, and parts of it were buried under farmland. UNESCO listed the surviving sections as part of the Grand Canal in 2014.

   Read the complete Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal comes up about 46 km into the recorded legs. Next is Canal Site at Liuzi.

3. 3. Canal Site at Liuzi

   The plains of eastern Henan and northern Anhui are among the flattest and most densely farmed in the world, a patchwork of wheat, maize and villages, strung together by poplar-lined lanes and straight roads. This was the heartland of old China, and the Grand Canal ran through it. The section here, the Liuzi canal site, belongs to the Tongji Canal, built in the Sui dynasty in the early seventh century to link the Yellow River with the Huai and eventually the Yangtze. It was dug by labour on a vast scale and became the main artery for grain, taxes and troops moving between north and south for several hundred years.

   Read the complete Canal Site at Liuzi write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 117 km into the recorded legs you reach Canal Site at Liuzi. Next is back through Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal.

4. 4. back through Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Shangqiu Xiayi Section of Tongji Canal, late in the day. Next is Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal.

5. 5. Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Shangqiu Nanguan Section of Tongji Canal. That is the ride.