As the first canal built in China since the Grand Canal 1,400 years ago, the Pinglu Canal marks a major breakthrough in enhancing maritime connectivity for Southwest China.

Spanning 134.2 kilometers, it enables 5,000-tonne vessels to sail directly from inland cities of Guangxi—a coastal region bordering Vietnam—to China’s major ports and key ASEAN destinations.

Shortening shipping routes by 560 kilometers, it is expected to save over 5.2 billion yuan (about $720 million) in logistics costs each year.

Its water-saving locks reduce freshwater use by 60% compared to conventional locks—a technological highlight in this flagship project on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.

(By Liu Xiangqi, Bian Ce, Zhou Xinyi, Liu Yixuan, Qiang Jiayi, Sun Yuting, Liu Xueru)