Mapping the Empire’s Watery Ways: The Chinese Grand Canal in History, Literature, and Art

For many, the most obvious architectural symbol of Chinese imperial power is the Great Wall. Yet in the imperial period the Grand Canal was arguably much more important. To do justice to its multifaceted history, the workshop brought together scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds such as social history, the history of science, environmental history, comparative and Chinese literature, global and Chinese art history, and the history of architecture. Participants led discussions about documents that illuminated their scholarly approach to the Canal.