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Pinglu Canal inauguration in Guangxi

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2026-09-21 04:09 UTC → 2026-10-14 08:50 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Pinglu Canal (also referred to as the Fenglu Canal) in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southwest China officially opened to navigation on September 16, 2026. Spanning 134.2 kilometers, the Grade I inland waterway connects the Pingtang River Estuary in Nanning to the Beibu Gulf via the Qinjiang River, linking the Xijiang River inland shipping network directly to the South China Sea. Construction on the project began in August 2022 with an investment of approximately 72.7 billion yuan. The canal features three major water-level control centers at Matao, Qishi, and Qingnian. The Matao Hub utilizes the world’s largest water-saving ship lock for an inland waterway. The project has reportedly set four world records concerning navigation capacity, lock operation speed, water-saving lock scale, and water head height for water-saving locks. It is designed to accommodate vessels with a 5,000-ton capacity. As a critical component of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the canal is expected to reduce inland navigation distances by over 560 kilometers, bypassing traditional routes through Guangzhou. This is projected to reduce logistics costs for provinces such as Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan, and Chongqing by 18% to 30%, potentially saving over 5 billion yuan annually. Local industries, including aluminum production and new energy battery manufacturing, have already reported significant cost savings and improved competitiveness. The waterway facilitates more efficient trade between China’s inland provinces and Southeast Asian markets. New trade routes have already been established, including an international route connecting Nanning to Can Tho, Vietnam, and a domestic route to Yangpu in Hainan. Ambassadors from Cambodia and Laos have noted the waterway could facilitate easier trade for agricultural products and provide landlocked Laos with improved maritime access.

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