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 a close second is the Grand Canal. The canal was a huge building project. It helped ease trade and travel between parts of China.
One of the ancient world’s most famous trade routes was the Silk Road. It was 4,000 miles long. 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 they were good sailors. The Ming emperor then was Yong Lo. He sent a huge fleet on seven sea voyages. He wanted foreign rulers to see that China was a great naval power.
The major building projects helped bring the country together. The trade links let others find out all about it.
