The Chinese turned their skills to building, trade, and travel. They showed the same creative spirit that made them such great inventors.
The most amazing feat of Chinese engineering is the Great Wall. But the Grand Canal is a close second. A huge building project, it helped make trade and travel easier between parts of China.
One of the ancient world’s most famous trade routes was the 4,000-mile-long Silk Road. It was a path for merchants traveling between China and other parts of Asia and Europe. They carried silk, spices, and other goods.
In the 1400s, the Chinese set out to show the world their skills as sailors. The Ming emperor Yong Lo sent a huge fleet on seven sea voyages. He wanted to show foreign rulers that China was a great naval power.
The major building projects helped unify the country. The trade links let others find out all about it.
