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109-571: The terrain of this area of Zhejiang slopes down from mountains to the south to the coastal plain along Hangzhou Bay to the north. The oldest section of the present waterway was the Shanyin Canal constructed in Shaoxing by the Yue official Fan Li in the 5th century BC during the late Spring and Autumn period . Despite the need to create numerous locks and dams to allow boats to change levels at

218-566: A few large and powerful principalities dominated China. Some southern states, such as Chu and Wu , claimed independence from the Zhou, who undertook wars against some of them (Wu and Yue ). Amid the interstate power struggles, internal conflict was also rife: six elite landholding families waged war on each other inside Jin, political enemies set about eliminating the Chen family in Qi, and the legitimacy of

327-401: A neighbour of Wu and Jin's nemesis in the struggle for hegemony. King Shoumeng accepted the offer, and Wu would continue to harass Chu for years to come. After a period of increasingly exhausting warfare, Qi, Qin, Jin and Chu met at a disarmament conference in 579 and agreed to declare a truce to limit their military strength. This peace did not last very long and it soon became apparent that

436-723: A service center at the bridge midpoint. It runs across the mouth of Hangzhou Bay connecting the municipalities of Jiaxing and Ningbo in Zhejiang province. One of the longest bridges in the world , it cuts the trip between eastern Zhejiang and Shanghai from 400 to 80 kilometers (249 to 50 miles). The second bridge crossing of the Bay is the Jiashao Bridge , located west of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, and completed in 2013. It stretches 10.14 km (6.30 mi) across

545-505: A succession struggle in 635, the king awarded Jin with strategically valuable territory near Chengzhou. Duke Wen then used his growing power to coordinate a military response with Qi, Qin, and Song against Chu, which had begun encroaching northward after the death of Duke Huán of Qi. With a decisive Chu loss at the Battle of Chengpu in 632, Duke Wen's loyalty to the Zhou king was rewarded at an interstate conference when King Xīang awarded him

654-735: Is a funnel-shaped inlet of the East China Sea , bordered by the province of Zhejiang and the municipality of Shanghai , which lies north of the Bay. The Bay extends from the East China Sea to its head at the city of Hangzhou , from which its name is derived. At Hangzhou, the Qiantang River flows into this Bay, providing freshwater from the West while seawater comes in from the East. Thus, Hangzhou Bay, especially its western end,

763-786: Is also known as the Shaoshao Canal. After passing the Cao'e River, the canal enters Shangyu District and diverges to two branches. From Shangyantou on the east side of Cao'e River to Caoshu Bridge in Yuyao . The northerly Yuyu Canal connects it to the Yao River. From Cao'e River to Tongming Dam, the southerly branch known as the Forty Mile River flows into the Yao River and runs parallel to the Houxin and Shibali Rivers. The main stem of

872-510: Is home to about 40 million people and, as of 2017, accounts for 87 percent of the province's economic output. The challenge to Zhejiang's vision may be its interaction with Shanghai. 30°17′07″N 120°55′26″E  /  30.2852°N 120.924°E  / 30.2852; 120.924 This Chinese location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period ( c.  770  – c.  481 BCE )

981-725: Is made up of culture, commodity and information and a big circle’. In 2004, in the 38th time of the World Heritage Committee conference, which was held in Doha , the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal, which included the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was officially added into the Lists of World Heritage Sites. The world heritage sites which were listed include: Hangzhou Bay Hangzhou Bay

1090-613: Is not possible to know if what is meant is the Etiquette and Ceremonial (known then as the Book of Rites ) or just the concept of ritual in general. On the other hand, the existence of the Book of Changes is well-attested in the Zuozhuan , as multiple characters use it for divination and accurately quote the received text. Sima Qian claims that it was Confucius who, towards the close of

1199-646: Is planned which will carry the Nantong–Ningbo high-speed railway . In 2018, the Zhejiang provincial government, following in Guangdong 's footsteps, released ambitious plans for the Hangzhou Great Bay Area , aiming for a mega urban re-development schema that would double the economic output of the region by 2022 and develop a “world class” bay area in Zhejiang by 2035. The Great Bay Area, an economic and industrial belt centered around Hangzhou Bay,

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1308-527: Is said is told from the perspective of other states, such as Duke Ai of Lu trying to enlist Yue's help in a coup against the Three Huan. Sima Qian notes that Goujian reigned on until his death, and that afterwards his descendants—for whom no biographical information is given—continued to rule for six generations before the state was finally absorbed into Chu during the Warring States period . After

1417-630: Is sometimes called in the scientific literature as the Qiantang River Estuary . At the southeast end of Hangzhou Bay, off Ningbo , are many small islands that are collectively called the Zhoushan Islands . This archipelago of islands is urbanized with the administrative status of a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang Province. At less than 15 meters in depth, the entire Bay is relatively shallow. Consequently,

1526-553: The Zuozhuan and Analects frequently quote the Book of Poetry and Book of Documents . On the other hand, the Zuozhuan depicts some characters actually composing poems that would later be included in the received text of the Book of Poetry . In the Analects there are frequent references to "The Rites", but as Classical Chinese does not employ punctuation or any markup to distinguish book titles from regular nouns it

1635-583: The Five Hegemons . He was succeeded by his son King Fuchai of Wu , who nearly destroyed the Yue state, imprisoning King Goujian of Yue . Subsequently, Fuchai defeated Qi and extended Wu influence into central China. In 499, the philosopher Confucius was made acting prime minister of Lu. He is traditionally (if improbably) considered the author or editor of the Spring and Autumn annals , from which much of

1744-490: The Guanzhong region, held nominal power, but had real control over only a small royal demesne centered on Luoyi. During the early part of the Zhou dynasty period, royal relatives and generals had been given control over fiefdoms in an effort to maintain Zhou authority over vast territory. As the power of the Zhou kings waned, these fiefdoms became increasingly independent states . The most important states (known later as

1853-720: The UNESCO World Heritage program as it served as an extension of the Beijing–Hangzhou Canal and provided an additional connection from the cities along the canal to Ningbo's ports and the Maritime Silk Road . In May 2013, the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was officially included as part of the Grand Canal within China and listed in the seventh group of Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at

1962-528: The Yuan , Ming , and Qing , the canal was kept navigable through the early modern period before being largely supplanted by railways and roads . Renovation of the canal began in 2002, providing navigability for modern barges except around Ningbo by 2009 and complete navigation of the entire canal by the end of 2013. In November 2008, the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was added to the Grand Canal's nomination with

2071-482: The bà role had become outdated; the four major states had each acquired their own spheres of control and the notion of protecting Zhou territory had become less cogent as the control over (and the resulting cultural assimilation of) non-Zhou peoples, as well as Chu's control of some Zhou areas, further blurred an already vague distinction between Zhou and non-Zhou. In addition, new aristocratic houses were founded with loyalties to powerful states, rather than directly to

2180-557: The Chu forces advanced to just outside the royal capital of Chengzhou, upon which King Zhuang sent a messenger to inquire into the heft and bulk of the Nine Cauldrons – the symbols of royal ritual authority – implying he might soon arrange to have them moved to his own capital. In the end the Zhou capital was spared, and Chu shifted focus to harassing the nearby state of Zheng. The once-hegemon state of Jin intervened to rescue Zheng from

2289-500: The Chu invaders but were resolutely defeated, which marks the ascension of Chu as the dominant state of the time. Despite his de facto hegemony, King Zhuang's self-proclaimed title of "king" was never recognized by the Zhou states. In the Spring and Autumn Annals he is defiantly referred to as Zi ( 子 , ruler; unratified lord), even at a time when he dominated most of south China. Later historians however always include him as one of

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2398-714: The Ci River divides at Shazigang, the south side of Cicheng, connecting with the Yao River at the Xiaoxi Dam. After passing Huazi Gate, the Ci River is called the Zhongda River and enters Zhenhai District from Jiangbei District , finally flowing into the Yong River. The Xitang river travels eastward to Wangjing Gate in Ningbo, meeting the moat and water system in its old town and links to Fenghua River. The design of

2507-539: The Five Hegemons. In addition to interstate conflict, internal conflicts between state leaders and local aristocrats also occurred. Eventually the dukes of Lu, Jin, Zheng, Wey and Qi would all become figureheads to powerful aristocratic families. In the case of Jin, the shift happened in 588 when the army was split into six independent divisions, each dominated by a separate noble family: Zhi (智), Zhao (趙), Han (韓), Wei (魏), Fan (范), and Zhonghang (中行). The heads of

2616-692: The Geumnam pyohaerok (traditional Chinese: 錦南漂海錄; ; Korean: 금남표해록; literally: "A Record of Drifting Across the Southern Brocade Sea") to record his journey. This book provides an important account of the Ming dynasty for historians. In 2007, the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China enacted a document named "The National Inland Waterway and Port Layout Plan." In this document,

2725-538: The King of Zhou, not all sources list him as one of the Five Hegemons. When Duke Wen of Jin came to power in 636 after extensive peregrinations in exile, he capitalized on the reforms of his father, Duke Xian (r. 676–651), who had centralized the state, killed off relatives who might threaten his authority, conquered sixteen smaller states, and even absorbed some Rong and Di peoples to make Jin much more powerful than it had been previously. When he assisted King Xiang in

2834-467: The Ming dynasty, the natural environment in the Eastern Zhejiang changed. Qianqing River, previously an obstruction to the Eastern Zhejiang Canal, was blocked, and its north and south weirs were dismantled so there was no obstruction to the channel between Xiaoshan and Cao'e. With the construction of seawalls and the formation of tidal flats in Zhejiang, a water system with lakes densely covering

2943-671: The National Level . In 2014, it was inducted as a World Heritage Site alongside the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Sui and Tang Grand Canal. The west end of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal is Xixing in Hangzhou's Binjiang District. After passing Xixing, entering Xiaoshan District , following by Qianqing, Keqiao District , the canal crosses the old Qianqing River. The canal then goes southeast, entering Yuecheng District and lies across Cao'e River. The section ranging from Xixing to Cao'e

3052-546: The Qianqing Slab Bridge and the Shangxie Bridge, with a length of 7.5 kilometers, is well preserved. These towpaths are either against the canal bank on one side or surrounded by the canal on both sides. The latter form can be divided into entity towpath and stone pier towpath styles. You can always see bridges located after certain distances as they help ships pass through safely. These are well known as

3161-467: The Qiantang River estuary and carries the [REDACTED] G15W expressway, four lanes each way, over six consecutive cable-stayed spans supported by six tall pylons. The Jiashao Bridge connects Shaoxing on the south shore of the Bay to a point on the north shore of the Bay due south of Jiaxing and provides a more direct route for vehicle traffic between Shaoxing and Shanghai. Another bridge

3270-677: The Shanxi Creek, Tianlao Mountain, Tiantai Mountain etc. After the Tang dynasty, many famous men of letters have since passed the canal, including Lu You (simplified Chinese: 陆游; traditional Chinese: 陸游/陸遊; 1125–1209), Fan Chengda (Chinese: 范成大; pinyin: Fàn Chéngdà; Wade–Giles: Fan Ch'engta, 1126–1193), Qin Guan (simplified Chinese: 秦观; traditional Chinese: 秦觀; 1049 – c. 1100), Zhu Yizun (Chinese: 朱彝尊; pinyin: Zhū Yízūn; Wade–Giles: Chu I-tsun; 1629–1709), Lu Xun (formerly also romanized Lu Hsün,

3379-542: The Shanyin Canal during China's Spring and Autumn period . According to the Yuejue , it was begun by Fan Li during his time supervising the reconstruction of Shanyin's Dongguo Gate. From Dongguo Gate to Liantang in Shangyu District, the Shanyin Canal is 20.7 km (12.9 mi) in length. During the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin dynasty (AD 290–301), due to the need for irrigation, the official He Xun supervised

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3488-525: The Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), substantial goods and materials from the eastern Zhejiang area like salt and rice together with the tribute grain from Fujian Province (which arrived by sea transport) were shipped to Lin’an via the canal. Later, during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), tribute grain started to be shipped in a co-operative sea-river joint transportation method. The institution which managed

3597-511: The Spring and Autumn period, edited the received versions of the Book of Poetry , Book of Documents , and Book of Rites ; wrote the "Ten Wings" commentary on the Book of Changes ; and wrote the entirety of the Spring and Autumn Annals . This was long the predominant opinion in China, but modern scholarship considers it unlikely that all five classics could be the product of one man. The transmitted versions of these works all derive from

3706-557: The Western Zhou had concerned itself with politics, the ancestral temples, and legitimacy, in the Eastern Zhou politics came to the fore. Titles which had previously reflected lineage seniority took on purely political meanings. At the top of the bunch were Gong ( 公 ) and Hou ( 侯 ), favoured lineages of old with generally larger territories and greater resources and prestige at their disposal. The majority of rulers were of

3815-968: The White-Jade-liked Long Embankment. Currently, the towpath, located in Shaoxing, connecting the slab bridge in Qingqian Town and the Shangxie Bridge in Keqiao, is recognized as a major historical and cultural site protected at the national level. Additionally, the Xiaoshan Towpath, the Yuhou Bridge Towpath (located in Shaoxing), the Gaobu Towpath (located in Shaoxing) and the towpath in Shangyu are protected as historical and cultural sites at

3924-549: The Wu capital. Fuchai rushed back but was besieged and died when the city fell in 473. Yue then concentrated on weaker neighbouring states, rather than the great powers to the north. With help from Wu's enemy Chu, Yue was able to be victorious after several decades of conflict. King Goujian destroyed and annexed Wu in 473, after which he was recognized as hegemon. The Zuozhuan , Guoyu , and Shiji provide almost no information about Goujian's subsequent reign or policies. What little

4033-483: The Yao River and the Yong River and would finally empty into the East China Sea in the mouth of the Yong River. More than 130 bridges and 8 navigation blocks were constructed in this project. Some reconstructions were also completed along the canal, including railways, roads, constructions which would be affected by this project and aids for navigation. By September 2009, this project was completed. It turned out to be

4142-515: The Yao river and Relevant Heritage Groups etc. A towpath is the road that canal boat trackers walk along as they towed boats. There are many towpaths located in different reaches while mainly converge in Xiaoshan and Shaoxing. These ancient towpaths were originally built in the tenth year of Yuanhe in the Tang dynasty (815). They cover nearly one hundred li in total. Especially the towpath which connects

4251-699: The Zhou capital was sacked by the Marquess of Shen and the Quanrong barbarians , the Zhou moved the capital east from the now desolated Zongzhou in Haojing near modern Xi'an to Wangcheng in the Yellow River Valley. The Zhou royalty was then closer to its main supporters, particularly Jin, and Zheng ; the Zhou royal family had much weaker authority and relied on lords from these vassal states for protection, especially during their flight to

4360-422: The Zhou kings, though this process slowed down by the end of the seventh century, possibly because territory available for expansion had been largely exhausted. The Zhou kings had also lost much of their prestige so that, when Duke Dao of Jin (r. 572–558) was recognized as bà , it carried much less meaning than it had before. In 506, King Helü ascended the throne of Wu. With the help of Wu Zixu and Sun Tzu ,

4469-399: The advice of his staff, he attacked the much larger state of Chu. The Song forces were defeated at the battle of Hong ( 泓 ) in 638, and the duke himself died in the following year from an injury sustained in the battle. After Xiang's death his successors adopted a more modest foreign policy, better suited to the country's small size. As Duke Xiang was never officially recognized as hegemon by

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4578-543: The author of The Art of War , he launched major offensives against the state of Chu. They prevailed in five battles, one of which was the Battle of Boju , and conquered the capital Ying. However, Chu managed to ask the state of Qin for help, and after being defeated by Qin, the vanguard general of Wu troops, Fugai, a younger brother of Helü, led a rebellion. After beating Fugai, Helü was forced to leave Chu. Fugai later retired to Chu and settled there. King Helü died during an invasion of Yue in 496. Some sources list him as one of

4687-406: The canal also reside along both sides of the canal. The Eastern Zhejiang Canal is made up of many natural rivers. To maintain the stable water levels and benefit agriculture along the banks, numerous water conservancy facilities were constructed along the canal. These are primarily composed of barrages, dams and gates. Among these, significant ones can be found on the central canal and tributaries of

4796-445: The canal composing of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal and the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal was recognized as the most important waterway in the Yangtze River Delta . The proposal of reconstructing the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was raised in 1983. Back then, after partial construction, the navigation capacity remained 40 tons. In 2002, to manage problems including too many barrages on the canal and the low navigation tonnage which would not satisfy

4905-587: The canal remained till the popularization of railways and roads. Scholars such as Chen Qiaoyi, a professor from Zhejiang University , think the Eastern Zhejiang Canal should be included as part of ‘the Grand Canal of China’. Along the Eastern Zhejiang Canal, you can find substantial cultural relics, including 3 national-level, nearly 20 provincial-level plus a number of city-level and county-level historical and cultural sites under protection. These are mainly water conservancy facilities, bridges and other utilities. Additionally, some ancient towns which are influenced by

5014-428: The canal such as the Yongxing Gate (located in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province), the Cao'e Barrage, the Lianghu Barrage, the Tongming Barrage, the Qingshui Gate (all located in Shangyu District, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province), Doumen Gate, the Yunlou Xiaba Dam (both located in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province) and the Xidu Barrage (located in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province). Currently, these constructions are included in

5123-424: The canal then enters the natural river. The tributary developed in Zhangting is named the Ci River, and the branch formed in Gaoqiao in Ningbo is called the Xitang River. After passing the Yao and Fenghua Rivers , the two tributaries meet at Sanjiangkou area in Ningbo and create the Yong River . The confluence flows into the East China Sea from the east side of Zhaobaoshan in Zhenhai District. From west to east,

5232-426: The canal to avoid the fierce tide of Hangzhou Bay (杭州湾). During the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), the canal became a significant channel for foreign trade. Exported products like porcelain were transported to Ningbo first via the canal then would be shipped to foreign countries by the Silk Road. Meanwhile, products from Japan, Vietnam, Goryeo and other countries were also transported to the capital city Lin’an from

5341-422: The canal's gate dam control system. Eastern Zhejiang was important in collecting and transporting tribute grain, and the canal had a significant role in this process. In the Tang dynasty, canal facilities began to be controlled by officials; tribute grain was first shipped to Xixing via the canal, then sent by the Qiantang River to finally arrive in the capital city by way of the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal. During

5450-425: The canal. Foreign envoys always landed in Ningbo, then travelled to Lin’an via the canal. In the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Ningbo was the only port receiving Japanese tributary ships, the tribute then transported to the capital city by the canal. Besides official trades, shipping for civil use was also developed along the canal. At the end of the 1950s, short-distance shipping still thrived. The canal's shipping function

5559-463: The canal; these were reduced in number later in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). After the twentieth year of Qianlong of the Qing dynasty, the Xixing Post was kept while setting up posts in other counties. In the thirty-second year of the reign of the Guangxu emperor , modern Chinese post was established and delivery stores abolished. In the third year of his reign, emperor Xuantong abdicated causing all post houses to close while certain post functions of

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5668-435: The city of Hangzhou, is regarded as one of the best place to watch the Qiantang River Tidal Bore, especially on the 18th day of the eighth lunar month. The Bay was first spanned by the Hangzhou Bay Bridge , which was linked up on June 14, 2007, and opened on May 1, 2008. It is a long 35.7 km (22.2 mi) bridge carrying [REDACTED] G15 expressway, three lanes each way, with two separate cable-stayed portions and

5777-401: The construction of Xixing Canal, from Xixing, the east shore of Qiantang River to Kuaiji City. From then on, this canal section, along with the channels east to Shangyu District, the natural waterways of Yao River and Yong River, constituted the Eastern Zhejiang Canal. During the Northern and Southern dynasties, under governmental and private management, the operation of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal

5886-410: The demand of modern logistics, the reconstruction project of the canal began. This project set grade four waterways (which can navigate 500-ton freighters) as the standard and took the Sanbo Navigation Lock which located on the west bank of the Qiantang River as its starting point. The canal would flow through the Qiantang River , the Puyang River , the Xixiao River, the Cao’e River, the Sishili River,

5995-413: The director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage back then, used to comment on this alteration as, the join of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal made the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal connect to the maritime silk road. The starting point of the Canal of the Sui and Tang dynasties, Luoyang, is also the starting point of the land silk road. All these would form ‘a remarkable and inevitable integration which

6104-419: The disparity in available resources. Alongside this development, there was precedent of Zhou kings "upgrading" noble ranks as a reward for service to the throne, giving the recipients a bit more diplomatic prestige without costing the royal house any land. During the decline of the royal house, although real power was wrested from their grasp, their divine legitimacy was not brought into question, and even with

6213-514: The duke and two senior ministers each in charge of five; military functions were also united with civil ones. These and related reforms provided the state, already powerful from control of trade crossroads, with a greater ability to mobilize resources than the more loosely organized states. By 667, Qi had clearly shown its economic and military predominance, and Duke Huan assembled the leaders of Lu , Song , Chen , and Zheng , who elected him as their leader. Soon after, King Hui of Zhou conferred

6322-400: The early years of the Southern Song dynasty, Emperor Gaozong ( Zhao Gou ) recruited laborers to reconstruct the Shaoxing and Yuyao sections. During the Southern Song dynasty, the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was restored several times, and its navigability was improved. According to Jiatai Kuaiji records, at that time the two canal sections in Xiaoshan County and Shangyu County could carry 200 vessels;

6431-451: The eastern capital. In Chengzhou, Prince Yijiu was crowned by his supporters as King Ping . However, with the Zhou domain greatly reduced to Chengzhou and nearby areas, the court could no longer support the six army groups it had in the past; Zhou kings had to request help from powerful vassal states for protection from raids and for resolution of internal power struggles. The Zhou court would never regain its original authority; instead, it

6540-421: The elite culture, aiming at upward social mobility, typically through the vector of officialdom. One individual well attested in the process of fixing the ranks of rulers into a coherent scheme was Zichan of Zheng , who both submitted a memorial to the king of Chu informing him of the proposed new system in 538 BCE, and argued at a 529 BCE interstate conference that tributes should be graded based on rank, given

6649-424: The encounter the duke felt he was not treated with the respect and etiquette which would have been appropriate, given that Zheng was now the chief protector of the capital. In 715, Zheng also became involved in a border dispute with Lu regarding the Fields of Xu. The fields had been put in the care of Lu by the king for the exclusive purpose of producing royal sacrifices for the sacred Mount Tai . For Zheng to regard

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6758-405: The era, this partitioning left seven major states in the Zhou world: the three fragments of Jin, the three remaining great powers of Qin, Chu and Qi, and the weaker state of Yan ( 燕 ) near modern Beijing. The partition of Jin, along with the Usurpation of Qi by Tian , marks the beginning of the Warring States period . Ancient sources such as the Zuo Zhuan and the eponymous Chunqiu record

6867-473: The fief of the grandfather of the disinherited crown prince Yijiu —destroyed the Western Zhou capital at Haojing , killing King You and establishing Yijiu as king at the eastern capital Luoyi . The event ushered in the Eastern Zhou dynasty, which is divided into the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods. During the Spring and Autumn period, China's feudal fengjian system became largely irrelevant. The Zhou court, having lost its homeland in

6976-414: The fields as just any other piece of land was an insult to the court. By 707, relations had soured enough that the king launched a punitive expedition against Zheng. The duke counterattacked and raided Zhou territory, defeating the royal forces in the Battle of Xuge and injuring the king himself. Zheng was the first vassal to openly defy the king, kicking off the centuries of warfare without respect for

7085-454: The first eleven years of his hegemony, Duke Huan intervened in a power struggle in Lu; protected Yan from encroaching Western Rong nomads; drove off Northern Di nomads after their invasions of Wey and Xing , providing the people with provisions and protective garrison units; and led an alliance of eight states to conquer Cai and thereby block the northward expansion of Chu . At his death in 643, five of Duke Huan's sons contended for

7194-545: The first half of the dynasty left in its wake hundreds of autonomous polities varying drastically in size and resources, nominally connected by bonds of cultural and ritual affiliation increasingly attenuated by the passage of time. Whole lineage groups moved around under socioeconomic stress, border groups not associated with the Zhou culture gained in power and sophistication, and the geopolitical situation demanded increased contact and communication. Under this new regime, an emergent systematization of noble ranks took root. Where

7303-403: The great age of Jin power, the Jin rulers began to lose authority over their ministerial lineages. A full-scale civil war between 497 and 453 ended with the elimination of most noble lines; the remaining aristocratic families divided Jin into three successor states: Han , Wei , and Zhao . This is the last event recorded in the Zuozhuan . With the absorption of most of the smaller states in

7412-467: The hegemon was obligated to protect both the weaker Zhou states and the Zhou royalty from the intruding non-Zhou peoples: the Northern Di , the Southern Man , the Eastern Yi , and the Western Rong . This political framework retained the fēngjiàn power structure, though interstate and intrastate conflict often led to declining regard for clan customs , respect for the Ji family, and solidarity with other Zhou peoples. The king's prestige legitimized

7521-420: The incoming and outgoing of ships. With the development of modern cities, most of these cities or towns have undergone drastic changes. However, some ancient towns still exist until day due to insufficient re-development. In the Chinese legend the Butterfly Lovers , the protagonist Liang Shanbo looked for Zhu Yingtai along the Eastern Zhejiang Canal. More than forty famous poets from the Tang dynasty had visited

7630-475: The information for this period is drawn. After only two years he was forced to resign and spent many years wandering between different states before returning to Lu. After returning to Lu he did not resume a political career, preferring to teach. Tradition holds that it was in this time he edited or wrote the Five Classics , including the Spring and Autumn Annals . In 482, King Fuchai of Wu held an interstate conference to solidify his power base, but Yue captured

7739-441: The king's court in Luoyi . The gradual Partition of Jin , one of the most powerful states, is generally considered to mark the end of the Spring and Autumn period and the beginning of the Warring States period . This periodization dates back to late Western Han ( c.  48 BCE  – c.  9 CE ). In 771 BCE, a Quanrong invasion in coalition with the states of Zeng and Shen —the latter polity being

7848-434: The last third of the Spring and Autumn period. Their first documented interaction with the Spring and Autumn states was in 584, when a Wu force attacked the small border state of Tan ( 郯 ) causing some alarm in the various Chinese courts. Jin was quick to dispatch an ambassador to the court of the Wu king, Shoumeng . Jin promised to supply Wu with modern military technology and training in exchange for an alliance against Chu,

7957-572: The late Qing dynasty, with the emergence of steamships and the Xiaoshan-Ningbo Railway , the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was gradually replaced. After the Chinese Communist Revolution , the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was renovated several times. The channels were dredged and new facilities were built to facilitate transportation and irrigation. At the end of the 20th century, due to the development of Ningbo port,

8066-480: The main port in the Bay area is the one in Ningbo and Zhoushan , at the southeast end of the Bay on the coast of East China Sea. The Bay is known for hosting the world's largest tidal bore , up to 9 meters (30 feet) high, and traveling up to 40 km (25 mi) per hour. Yanguan Town Tide-Viewing Park (盐官镇观潮胜地公园 Yánguān Zhèn Guāncháo Shèngdì Gōngyuán), on the north shore of Hangzhou Bay some 50 km east of

8175-633: The media in Chinese mainland. In 2006, the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal started to apply to be classified as a World Heritage Site. At the very beginning, only the Canal of the Sui and Tang dynasties and the Canal of the Ming and the Qing dynasties were included in the plan. With the appeal of relevant experts and media, in November 2008, the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was brought into this application. Shan Jixiang,

8284-449: The middling but tiered grades Bo ( 伯 ) and Zi ( 子 ). The rulers of two polities maintained the title Nan ( 男 ). A 2012 survey found no difference in grade between Gong and Hou , or between Zi and Nan . Meanwhile, a new class of lower-tier aristocrats formed: the Shi ( 士 ), gentlemen too distantly related to the great houses to be born into a life of wielding power, but still part of

8393-497: The military leaders of the states, and helped mobilize collective defense of Zhou territory against " barbarians ". Over the next two centuries, the four most powerful states— Qin , Jin , Qi and Chu —struggled for power. These multi-city states often used the pretext of aid and protection to intervene and gain suzerainty over the smaller states. During this rapid expansion, interstate relations alternated between low-level warfare and complex diplomacy. Duke Yin of Lu ascended

8502-408: The northern part of Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal disconnected from Jiangnan, and Eastern Zhejiang Canal and Jiangnan Canal became vital to Southern Song people. Additionally, because the Southern Song people thought highly of overseas trading, and Qingyuan Prefecture (now Ningbo) was an important port for international trades, the government particularly paid attention to the maintenance of the canal. In

8611-513: The old traditions which would characterize the period. The display of Zheng's martial strength was effective until succession problems after Zhuang's death in 701 weakened the state. In 692, there was a failed assassination attempt against King Zhuang , orchestrated by elements at court. The first hegemon was Duke Huan of Qi (r. 685–643). With the help of his prime minister, Guan Zhong , Duke Huan reformed Qi to centralize its power structure. The state consisted of 15 " townships " ( 縣 ) with

8720-493: The parallel inner and outer tributaries is meant to avoid the influence of tides from the outer tributary and causes the flow to cease meandering and to continue straight downstream. Because of the abundant precipitation in Eastern Zhejiang Area, canal construction was relatively easy, though there are few records regarding the process of construction. The history of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal can be traced back to

8829-422: The periphery, had power and opportunity to expand outward. A total of 148 states are mentioned in the chronicles for this period, 128 of which were absorbed by the four largest states by the end of the period. Shortly after the royal court's move to Chengzhou, a hierarchical alliance system arose where the Zhou king would give the title of hegemon ( 霸 ) to the leader of the state with the most powerful military;

8938-752: The provincial level in Zhejiang Province. Numerous ancient bridges stand across the Eastern Zhejiang Canal with various bridge forms, including semicircular arch, seven-polygonal arch, U-shaped arch, overpass and other forms. Many bridges are now protected as historical and cultural sites. Among these bridges, under the name of Ancient Bridge Groups of Shaoxing , some bridges of this city are protected as key historical and cultural sites at national level. The Eastern Zhejiang Canal deeply influences many cities and towns on both its sides. Cities that it passed by included Xiaoshan, Shanyin, Kuaiji, Shangyu (refer to old maps), Yuyao, Cixi (refer to old maps) and Ningbo. Most of them used to install water gates to give convenience to

9047-439: The regions along the canal was developed. In the Qing dynasty, the Eastern Zhejiang Canal gradually lessened in importance; many courier stations along the canal were removed or combined with other stations. According to the records of Huang Zongxi , there were only dozens of larger-scale vessels serving the Eastern Zhejiang Canal in Qing dynasty, not comparable to the hundreds of vessels in the Southern Song dynasty. Particularly in

9156-568: The rulers was often challenged in civil wars by various royal family members in Qin and Chu. Once all these powerful rulers had firmly established themselves within their respective dominions, the bloodshed focused more fully on interstate conflict in the Warring States period, which began in 403 BCE when the three remaining elite families in Jin—Zhao, Wei, and Han—partitioned the state. After

9265-477: The sea transportation of tribute grain was established, and the tribute grain which was transported by the canal would be shipped by sea after it arrived at Ningbo (called Qingyuan at that time) Port. Until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the Caoyun system of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was still comparatively developed. During the reign of Xianfeng emperor in the Qing dynasty, once again, it was decreed that tribute grain

9374-560: The single inland waterway reconstruction project with the biggest investment scale in the history of mainland China. Before the completion, in December 2007, partial canal had been put into use, especially the part in Hangzhou and Shaoxing, which had already become the busiest waterway. However, in Ningbo, due to bridges across the Yao River not satisfying the demand of navigation, large investments needed to be put into reconstruction. The uncompleted canal of Ningbo used to attract attention from

9483-457: The six families were conferred the titles of viscounts and made ministers, each heading one of the six departments of Zhou dynasty government. From this point on, historians refer to "The Six Ministers" as the true power brokers of Jin. The same happened to Lu in 562, when the Three Huan divided the army into three parts and established their own separate spheres of influence. The heads of

9592-641: The sixth batch of historical and cultural sites protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Provence under the following projects – The Water Conservancy and Shipping Facilities of the Qiantang River and Canal Ports, The Water Conservancy, Shipping and Service Facilities of the Cao'e River's Ports, Relic Sites Group of the Tongming Barrage, The Water Conservancy and Shipping Facilities from Yiting to Wufu, The Qingshui Gate and Management Facilities, The Water Conservancy and Shipping Facilities of

9701-518: The state was considered semi-barbarian and its rulers—beginning with King Wu in 704 BCE—proclaimed themselves kings in their own right. Chu intrusion into Zhou territory was checked several times by the other states, particularly in the major battles of Chengpu (632 BCE), Bi (595 BCE) and Yanling (575 BCE), which restored the states of Chen and Cai . Some version of the Five Classics existed in Spring and Autumn period, as characters in

9810-537: The tenth year of Yuanhe of the Tang dynasty (815), canals in Jiangnan (Chinese: 江南 ) area were repaired. From this, the water storage and drainage functions of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal improved. From the Song dynasty (960–1279) to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), the water storage and drainage facilities of the canal's river network went through repair each period. This largely completed

9919-452: The three families were always among the department heads of Lu. Wu was a state in modern Jiangsu outside the Zhou cultural sphere, considered "barbarian", where the inhabitants sported short hair and tattoos and spoke an unintelligible language. Although its ruling house claimed to be a senior lineage in the Ji ancestral temple, Wu did not participate in the politics and wars of China until

10028-537: The throne , badly weakening the state so that it was no longer regarded as the hegemon. For nearly ten years, no ruler held the title. Duke Xiang of Song attempted to claim the hegemony in the wake of Qi's decline, perhaps driven by a desire to restore the Shang dynasty from which Song had descended. He hosted peace conferences in the same style as Qi had done, and conducted aggressive military campaigns against his rivals. Duke Xiang's ambitions met their end when, against

10137-472: The throne in 722. From this year on, the state of Lu kept an official chronicle, the Spring and Autumn Annals , which along with its commentaries is the standard source for the Spring and Autumn period. Corresponding chronicles are known to have existed in other states as well, but all but the Lu chronicle have been lost . In 717, Duke Zhuang of Zheng went to the capital for an audience with King Huan . During

10246-498: The title of bà (hegemon), giving Duke Huan royal authority in military ventures. An important basis for justifying Qi's dominance over the other states was presented in the slogan 'Revere the King, Expel the Barbarians' ( 尊王攘夷 ; zun wang rang yi ). The role of subsequent hegemons would also be framed in this way: as the primary defender and supporter of nominal Zhou authority and the existing order. Using this authority, during

10355-484: The title of bà . After the death of Duke Wen in 628, a growing tension manifested in interstate violence that turned smaller states, particularly those at the border between Jin and Chu, into sites of constant warfare; Qi and Qin also engaged in numerous interstate skirmishes with Jin or its allies to boost their own power. Duke Mu of Qin ascended the throne in 659 and forged an alliance with Jin by marrying his daughter to Duke Wen. In 624, he established hegemony over

10464-498: The transportation cost increased, prompting the reconstruction of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal to be included on the political agenda. In 2009, the reconstruction of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal finished. The Eastern Zhejiang Canal mainly functioned in four ways throughout its history: shipping, irrigation, the Caoyun system and water stations. Shipping has been an important function of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal. In ancient times, ships from Eastern Zhejiang always went to Hangzhou by way of

10573-430: The twelve vassals) came together in regular conferences where they decided important matters, such as military expeditions against foreign groups or against offending nobles. During these conferences one vassal ruler was sometimes declared hegemon . As the era continued, larger and more powerful states annexed or claimed suzerainty over smaller ones. By the 6th century BCE, most small states had disappeared and just

10682-479: The two canal sections in Shanyin County and Yao River could carry 500 vessels. At that time, the Eastern Zhejiang Canal was at its acme in respect of navigability and prosperity. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the governmental repair works and preservation of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal were still ongoing, which retained its navigability, though it was not as prosperous as in the Southern Song dynasty. In

10791-452: The various diplomatic activities, such as court visits paid by one ruler to another ( 朝 ; cháo ), meetings of officials or nobles of different states ( 會 ; 会 ; huì ), missions of friendly inquiries sent by the ruler of one state to another ( 聘 ; pìn ), emissaries sent from one state to another ( 使 ; shǐ ), and hunting parties attended by representatives of different states ( 狩 ; shou ). Because of Chu's non-Zhou origin,

10900-580: The various rivers crossed by the canal, the entire route was completed with the excavation of the Xixing Canal under the Jin official He Xun in the 3rd century AD. The canal was an important artery of transport and supply during various periods of disunity in medieval China, notably under the Southern Song whose capital was at Lin'an within present-day Hangzhou. Despite its lesser importance under

11009-468: The versions edited by Liu Xin in the century following Sima Qian. While many philosophers such as Lao Tzu and Sun Tzu were active in the Spring and Autumn period, their ideas were probably not put into writing until the following Warring States period. While the aristocracy of the Western Zhou frequently interacted via the medium of the royal court, the collapse of central power at the end of

11118-416: The west part of the canal, including Li Bai (701–762), Du Fu (Wade–Giles: Tu Fu; Chinese: 杜甫; 712 – 770), He Zhizhang (simplified Chinese: 贺知章; traditional Chinese: 賀知章; pinyin: Hè Zhīzhāng; Wade–Giles: He Chih-chang, ca. 659–744)), Wang Wei (Chinese: 王維; 699–759) etc. Thus, the canal constitutes A Road of Tang Poetry in the Eastern Zhejiang along with the Cao'e River (Chinese: 曹娥江; pinyin: Cáo'é Jiāng),

11227-529: The western Rong barbarians and became the most powerful lord of the time. However he did not chair any alliance with other states nor was he officially recognized as hegemon by the king. Therefore, not all sources accept him as one of the Five Hegemons. King Zhuang of Chu expanded the borders of Chu well north of the Yangtze River, threatening the Central States in modern Henan . At one point

11336-703: Was a period in Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou ( c.  771  – 256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject to the Zhou exercised increasing political autonomy. The period's name derives from the Spring and Autumn Annals , a chronicle of the state of Lu between 722 and 481 BCE, which tradition associates with Confucius (551–479 BCE). During this period, local polities negotiated their own alliances, waged wars against one another, up to defying

11445-607: Was largely replaced by the 1980s with the improvement of road conditions. Irrigating cultivated land on both sides of the canal was another crucial function of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal. The Xixing Canal, which was built by the Western Jin dynasty (265–316), was mainly used for irrigation. During the Southern dynasties (420–589), four yandai structures (a kind of earth dam used for raising upstream water level to benefit shipping or irrigation in ancient China) were constructed. In

11554-543: Was relegated to being merely a figurehead of the regional states and ritual leader of the Ji clan ancestral temple. Though the king retained the Mandate of Heaven , the title held little actual power. With the decline of Zhou power, the Yellow River drainage basin was divided into hundreds of small, autonomous states, most of them consisting of a single city, though a handful of multi-city states, particularly those on

11663-414: Was shaped. In the mid-Tang dynasty, because of the busy traffic along Jiangnan Canal, local officials of eastern Zhejiang were appointed to dredge the canal, increase water locks and dams, dig new waterways and dredge Jian Lake. Jian Lake thus became one important source of water to the canal. The capital of the Southern Song dynasty was Linan. Because of the conflicts between Jurchen Jin and Chinese Song,

11772-454: Was the pen name of Zhou Shuren, 25 September 1881 – 19 October 1936) etc., a number of great works were created and left till now. In the year of 1488, because of heavy storms, the Korean official Choe Bu (1454–1504) drifted to Taizhou, China. Later, he went to Hangzhou from Ningbo via the canal and came back to Korea from Beijing by way of the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal. He wrote a book named

11881-509: Was to be transported by sea and the canal started to lose its function in the Caoyun system. The Eastern Zhejiang Canal served as an important postal route. At the base of the canal there was a station called the Xixing Post. Official documents were sent to Shaoxing, Ningbo and Taizhou by post via the canal. The postal system was also responsible for service via delivery stores. In the Song dynasty (960–1279), 12 post houses were put up along

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