Henan Sections of the Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is a national network of artificial waterways that specifically refers to the north-south canal system constructed through several dynasties in China. The sections dug in different historical periods are usually named after the dynasties, such as the Qin-Han Grand Canal, the Sui-Tang Grand Canal, and the Ming-Qing Grand Canal.
At the center of the Sui-Tang Grand Canal is Luoyang, from which the waterway runs in a herringbone shape, with the Yongji Canal running northward to Zhuojun (present-day Beijing) and the Tongji Canal southward to Yuhang (present-day Hangzhou). The Sui-Tang Grand Canal thus extends 3,000 kilometers and connects the five water systems – Haihe, Yellow, Huaihe, Yangtze, and Qiantang. It forms a national high-level water route centered on Luoyang and is considered the most important milestone in the history of the Grand Canal.
The Grand Canal sites within Henan Province are located in nine cities – Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Shangqiu, Jiaozuo, Xinxiang, Hebi, Anyang, and Puyang. For a period of more than 700 years from the Sui and the Tang to the Song and the Yuan dynasties, Henan remained the center of the Grand Canal. The local sections had played an important political, economic and social role by strengthening the connection and communication between northern and southern China, promoting the development of Luoyang, Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, and Shangqiu, and invigorating the economy in the Central Plains.
Today, great efforts have been made to preserve the natural landscape ecosystem, ancient buildings, and cultural resources along the Henan sections. In June 2014, the Grand Canal was included in the UNESCO's World Heritage List.
大運河河南段
大運河是以人工河道為主形成的國家核心水道網絡體系，特指中國各朝代傳承的南北運河網絡體系。歷史上各階段的大運河可以冠以朝代的名稱，如秦漢大運河、隋唐大運河、明清大運河等。隋唐大運河以洛陽為中心，以通濟渠、永濟渠為“人”字狀兩大撇捺延伸，溝通了海河、黃河、淮河、長江、錢塘江五大水系，長達3000千米，北通涿郡（今北京），南達余杭（今杭州），建成了以西安和洛陽為核心的全國性高等級水路運輸通道，被認為是大運河發展史上最重要的標志。
河南省境內的大運河遺址主要分布在洛陽、鄭州、開封、商丘、焦作、新鄉、鶴壁、安陽和濮陽9個城市。從隋唐至宋元長達700多年的時間里，河南一直是大運河的中心。在歷史上，大運河河南段充分發揮了政治、經濟、社會作用，其通過水道連接南北，大大加強了中國南北的溝通；同時也促進了洛陽、開封、鄭州、商丘等城市的發展，推動了中原城市經濟的繁榮。
當前，大運河河南段正進一步開發運河沿線的自然景觀資源、生態系統資源、古建筑資源以及人文資源。2014年6月，聯合國教科文組織將中國大運河列入《世界遺產名錄》。
