To address the flooding of the Yellow River which had long plagued residents in surrounding areas, Jin ordered the excavation of a canal through the Maling Mountain, resulting in the Zhong Canal running from west to east from Jiangsu's Xuzhou to Suqian, and then suddenly flowing southward to Huai'an by a 90-degree sharp turn.

The turn extending 3.5 kilometers is also known as the biggest turn of the Grand Canal, a major south-north artery of transport facilitating trade, cultural exchanges and economic prosperity in ancient China.