The construction of the Hangou canal began in 486 BCE, 1,090 years before Emperor Yang launched his canal project. It became the earliest part of what became the Sui Grand Canal. Its initiator was a ruler who was as ambitious and ill-fated as Emperor Yang. 
Cities along the Grand Canal also were affected as the length and contour of the canal changed. At 1,800 kilometers long, the Yuan canal is about 800 kilometers shorter than the previous canal.  Suzhou and Hangzhou earned  the name “paradises on Earth.” Suzhou was the largest city during the Ming. But prosperity also brought disaster to the cities.