Pinglu Canal opens to navigation following completion ceremony in Guangxi

On September 16, 2026, the Pinglu Canal in Guangxi, China, officially opened to navigation following a completion ceremony held in Qinzhou. This historic event marked the culmination of a project that began on August 28, 2022. Spanning 134.2 kilometers and built to Grade I inland waterway standards, the canal can accommodate vessels up to 5,000 tons.

The ceremony took place at the Madao Hub, a towering symbol of ambition and progress that features lock gates standing 39.08 meters tall. The Pinglu Canal, which connects the Pingtang River Estuary in Hengzhou to the Beibu Gulf via the Qinjiang River, has set four world records, including the highest navigation capacity among canals of its kind and the largest scale of water-saving locks on inland rivers.

On the day of its opening, the Nanning-Can Tho international trade route and the Nanning-Yangpu domestic trade route were officially inaugurated in both directions. The canal has facilitated the passage of 14 cargo ships and 16 ships carrying various goods, as well as the launch of four water passenger transport routes. The completion of the Pinglu Canal, which links to the Xijiang River system in the north and extends to the Beibu Gulf in the south, is expected to reshape Guangxi's development landscape and enhance transportation, logistics, and economic cooperation between southwestern and south-central China and the entire nation.