Línqīng

Linqing grew at a junction of waterways in western Shandong, where the Huitong Canal met the Wei River. The canal section through Linqing was opened in 1289, connecting the town to the route that carried grain and merchandise toward the northern capital. Boats, warehouses and merchants made the waterfront a busy part of the Grand Canal economy. In 1429 the Ming government established customs stations at Linqing and other trading centres along the waterway, collecting dues from passing vessels. The Linqing customs office continued to serve the central government during the Ming and Qing periods.

The canal also carried Linqing's products beyond the town. Its kilns made bricks used in imperial buildings in Beijing, including the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. The nine-storey Sarira Pagoda, begun in 1611 near the canal, became a prominent landmark for people travelling along the waterway. Linqing's prosperity depended on the movement and management of water, as state grain transport and private trade shared a route linking the city's workshops and markets to distant regions.