What was the impact of the construction of the Grand Canal?
greater economic integration, but also the incitement of a peasant revolt that
brought down the Sui dynasty
greater conflict between southern and northern China, mostly over control of
the canal
unintended attractiveness of China as an economic power, which incited
invasion from more foreign peoples
economic integration of southern and northern China and facilitation of trade
even into the twentieth century
economic ruin due to the cost of construction for almost a century, then steadily
improving trade along the canal route.