The Grand Canal was an artificial waterway constructed in ancient times that is the longest of its kind and has the largest drainage area. It links the drainage basins of five major rivers: the Hai River, Yellow River, Huai River, Yangtze River, and Qiantang River, is 3200 km in length, and an extraordinary feat of human engineering. In 2014, the Grand Canal was received by UNESCO into the World Heritage List, while in 2016, the Chinese government assigned the Grand Canal National Culture Park status as a National Major Cultural Project. The Grand Canal has had a unique influence on the structure of Chinese civilization itself and on China's economic development, social management, and literature and art, as well as on international cultural exchange. It is a historical and cultural phenomenon that is worthy of close attention and has had an inspirational impact on how China of recent times is to be understood.