Pinglu Canal set to open for navigation in Guangxi

The Pinglu Canal, a major infrastructure project in Guangxi, is scheduled to officially open for navigation on September 16. Spanning 134.2 kilometers, it is the first inland waterway in the People's Republic of China to be coordinated and constructed at the national level to connect inland rivers directly to the sea.

Built to Class I inland waterway standards, the canal can accommodate vessels up to 5,000 tons. The project is expected to significantly optimize logistics by allowing ships to bypass the Pearl River Delta, reducing inland navigation distances by over 560 kilometers and potentially saving more than 5 billion yuan in annual transportation costs.

The canal serves as a backbone for the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and aims to strengthen economic ties between China and Southeast Asia, leveraging RCEP policy benefits. The construction involved massive earthworks, with a total excavation volume of 315 million cubic meters, approximately three times that of the Three Gorges Project. Notable engineering feats include the Madao Hub, which features the world's highest inland ship lock drop of 29.6 meters and the world's largest inland ship lock by area.