Pinglu Canal, project of century, completed and opened to navigation
NANNING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 September 2026 – On September 16, the navigation launch ceremony for the Pinglu Canal was held in Qinzhou, Guangxi.
At 10:25 a.m.
that day at the Madao Hub, the inaugural vessel let out a resonant whistle that echoed through the air and the enthusiastic applause of the crowd witnessing this historic moment. The Pinglu Canal, the century dragon connecting rivers to the sea, officially opened to navigation. At Qinzhou Port, where the horizon blends seamlessly with the vast expanse of sea and sky, the Madao Hub stands as a towering symbol of ambition and progress. Its giant 39.08-meter-tall inverted V-shaped lock gates, like a steel giant spreading its arms wide, open the gateway to an era of maritime strength and prosperity.
The Pinglu Canal begins at the Pingtang River Estuary in Hengzhou, Nanning, Guangxi. It passes through Luwu Town in Lingshan County, Qinzhou, and flows into the Beibu Gulf via the Qinjiang River. Spanning a total length of 134.2 kilometers, it is built to meet Grade I inland waterway standards, accommodating vessels of up to 5,000 tons.
Since its construction began on August 28, 2022, hundreds of participating units and tens of thousands of builders have worked tirelessly day and night to create a project that meets high standards and high quality, with a focus on excellence, sustainability, and integrity. The project encompasses the construction of the Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian cascaded hubs, along with navigation channels and supporting facilities. The Pinglu Canal has set four world records, namely the highest navigation capacity among similar canals worldwide, the fastest lock operation speed for ship locks of its kind, the highest water head of a water-saving ship lock globally, and the largest scale of water-saving ship locks on inland rivers worldwide.
On the day of its launch, the "Nanning-Can Tho (Vietnam)" international trade route and the "Nanning-Yangpu (Hainan)" domestic trade route were officially opened in both directions. Fourteen cargo ships, fully loaded with sugar, building materials, minerals, steel, and other goods, successfully passed through the locks and embarked on their inaugural voyages. Meanwhile, sixteen ships carrying coal, iron ore, bauxite, fertilizers, high-calcium limestone, and other goods entered the Xijiang River Basin in an organized manner. The three major hubs, i.e., Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian, worked seamlessly in coordination, ensuring that ship lock scheduling was standardized, orderly, safe, and efficient.
Simultaneously, four water passenger transport routes were launched, namely the Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area to Madao Hub Loop Line, the Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area to Pingtang River Estuary Loop Line, the Qinzhou Water Comprehensive Service Area to Qingnian Hub Loop Line, and the Qinzhou Water Comprehensive Service Area to Longmen Bridge Loop Line.
The Pinglu Canal connects to the Xijiang River system in the north and extends to the Beibu Gulf in the south, establishing a second maritime route to the sea for the Pearl River-Xijiang River system. This new waterway provides southwestern China with a direct link to the Beibu Gulf, complementing the existing eastward sea route and shortening the journey to the sea by more than 560 kilometers. It is expected to save over 5 billion yuan in annual freight costs for the regions along the route.
At the inauguration ceremony, experts highlighted the profound historical significance of the event. Over 2,000 years ago, the Lingqu Canal was constructed in Guangxi, linking the Yangtze River and Pearl River water systems. Today, a new canal has been completed in the same region, providing direct access to the rivers and seas. The completion and opening of the Pinglu Canal will not only reshape Guangxi's development landscape but also play a pivotal role in advancing the openness and growth of southwestern and south-central China, as well as the entire nation. Furthermore, it will inject fresh momentum into China-ASEAN transportation, logistics, and economic and trade cooperation.
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