What was the function of digging the Grand Canal in Sui Dynasty? What was the situation of Chinese and foreign transportation and overseas trade in the Tang Dynasty?

1. What was the role of digging the Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty?

In 58 1 year, big noble and Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty seized power in the Northern Zhou Dynasty and established the Sui Dynasty. In 589, the Sui Dynasty destroyed Chen, ending the 270-year division between the North and the South since the Eastern Jin Dynasty and re-establishing a unified multi-ethnic feudal country.

After the second generation emperor Yang Di succeeded to the throne, he recruited more than 2 million male and female migrant workers and dug a grand canal running through the north and south. The canal is 4000 miles long, with Luoyang as the center, leading to Zhuo Jun in the northeast and Yuhang in the southeast. It connects five natural rivers, Haihe River, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Yangtze River and Qiantang River, and flows through the vast areas of seven provinces and cities in Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, becoming the main artery of north-south traffic. Most of the larger rivers in China flow from west to east, and the excavation of the Grand Canal has made up for this natural geographical defect and played a great role in the economic and cultural exchanges between North and South. The opening of the Grand Canal also provides conditions for further developing the wealth in the south of the Yangtze River and strengthening the control over the northeast and southeast regions. Emperor Yang Di went south from the Canal three times and "cruised" the south of the Yangtze River to amuse himself.

2. What was the situation of Chinese and foreign transportation and overseas trade during the Tang Dynasty?

During the Tang Dynasty, Chinese and foreign traffic was smooth and overseas trade was developed. Land starts from Chang 'an, passes through Hexi Corridor, Tarim Basin, crosses the Green Ridge, and reaches Central Asia, India in the south and Persia and Arabia in the west. Camel teams carrying goods crossed the desert and shuttled between Central Asia and Chang 'an. The Tang government set up four towns in Anxi and sent troops to protect the transportation and trade between Tang and the west.

The sea starts from Guangzhou, passes through Malay Peninsula and India to the Persian Gulf. Huge China ships are loaded with silk, porcelain and other handicrafts that are popular in the international market, and they are continuously transported there; Then transport the spices, herbs and jewels there back to China. Starting from Dengzhou and Chuzhou, you can cross the sea to reach the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Chang 'an in the Tang Dynasty was not only the political center of the whole country, but also the center of foreign trade and cultural exchanges among Asian countries at that time. This is an international metropolis. Chang 'an is often home to thousands of diplomatic envoys, businessmen and international students. Guangzhou was the largest seaport and overseas trade center in the south at that time. The Tang government set up a "city ambassador" there to manage foreign trade. Yangzhou, located at the intersection of the Canal and the Yangtze River, is not only the hub of north-south waterway transportation, but also the throat of mainland and overseas trade. Yangzhou is home to businessmen and tourists from Asian countries, including thousands of tourists from Persia and Arabia.