In Guangxi, China, the vision of river-sea intermodal transport is transitioning from blueprint to reality. The Pinglu Canal, the first waterway project of its kind since 1949 to be coordinated at the national level, is slated to open this September. Stretching 134.2 kilometers, this canal has drawn widespread attention since construction commenced.
Lei Xiaohua, deputy director of the Southeast Asia Research Institute at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, suggests that once operational, the canal will allow the world to further share in China's development opportunities. First, goods from various countries will gain easier logistics access to China's vast market. Second, the canal will significantly boost regional connectivity, accelerating trade and investment facilitation, and fostering deeper integration between China and ASEAN, and beyond. Third, as a model of innovation, green growth, and smart infrastructure, the canal is set to inject new momentum into the development of both China and emerging economies.
Where to Begin? The Century Project's Starting Point
The canal's starting point, Jiangkou Street in Pingtang Village, Xinfu Town, Hengzhou, Nanning, sits amidst a picturesque landscape of green hills and clear waters. A cargo vessel leisurely navigates downstream, its load contrasting with the serene scenery. When a reporter visited the site, several middle-aged men had driven there to take in the river view from a platform, and upon being asked about their trip, they replied succinctly: "We're here for the Pinglu Canal!" Even before navigation commences, the waterway has already become a major talking point for locals, with a growing number of tourists showing up to witness the site.
Sun Guoqi, a resident of Pingtang Village who formerly worked as a fisherman, has recently pivoted to catering to the influx of visitors by setting up a small eatery at home. "Tourists are increasing, and my wife took the lead, saying she could cook and manage a restaurant," Sun said with a smile. "Now, we earn over a thousand yuan extra each month on weekends!" The village, once a vital salt-trading hub along the Xijiang River system, saw its fortunes decline after the Xijin Hydropower Station's reservoir submerged the old settlement in the 1960s. Today, it is being revived, all thanks to the Pinglu Canal.
Why Just One Canal? A Multi-Record Construction Feat
Starting from Pingtang, the canal traverses Luwu Town in Lingshan County, Qinzhou, and follows the Qinjiang River into the Beibu Gulf, covering 134.2 kilometers with a total elevation drop of 65 meters. As a key project in the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and one of China's 14th Five-Year Plan major undertakings, the Pinglu Canal entails an investment of over 70 billion yuan and will accommodate vessels up to 5,000 tons. By taking this route, cargo ships can shorten their inland voyage by roughly 560 kilometers compared to heading through Guangzhou Port, establishing the canal as the shortest, most economical, and most convenient sea access route for China's southwest.
The project's scale is nothing short of monumental. According to officials from the Pinglu Canal Group, construction spanned 52 months, requiring the excavation of over 300 million cubic meters of earth and rock—almost triple the volume of the Three Gorges Project. The "Tianjing Hao," a super-large self-propelled cutter suction dredger, was among the heavy machinery deployed. The construction includes three new cascade hubs—Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian—with a total concrete pour volume of about 5.84 million cubic meters, enough to fill more than 2,300 standard swimming pools. Notably, the Madao hub broke a world record for daily precooled concrete placement. As the world's largest inland water-saving ship lock, its working gates open in just one minute and close in 30 seconds. Both the Madao and Qishi hubs are equipped with water-saving basins that enable water recycling, reducing consumption by around 60% compared to conventional locks.
A Century-Old Dream Realized
The Madao hub serves as the watershed between the Xijiang and Qinjiang river systems. He Junhui, head of the engineering and investment department at Pinglu Canal Group, pointed to an old photo predating the project: "Previously, there was just a narrow mountain path between two peaks, with rice paddies and sugarcane fields. We excavated a 10-kilometer-deep channel to divert water, linking the two river networks." This breakthrough means cargo from Nanning no longer has to travel east to Guangzhou for sea access; a southern route through Qinzhou has been opened. The initiative traces back over a century to ideas about using Qinzhou as a primary sea outlet to shorten shipping distances for southwestern provinces, with numerous studies and surveys conducted since 1949. Now, the long-anticipated canal is set to officially open.
Drawing comparisons to the Panama Canal or the ancient Lingqu Canal, He Junhui responded: "Each canal responds to its historical mission. The Lingqu resolved the integration of the Lingnan region with the Central Plains, fostering prosperity and stability. The Pinglu Canal addresses the Southwest's issue of sea access, which will further drive economic and social growth. The technologies differ, but the aim is the same—human perseverance in taming and utilizing water."
The Economic Ripple Effect: River-Sea Synergy
With the canal's support, over 5,800 kilometers of Guangxi's inland waterway network and some channels in Yunnan and Guizhou will link directly to maritime transport, enhancing the structural function of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor. It is estimated that these shorter routes and improved trade measures will save over 5.2 billion yuan annually in transportation costs for regions along the corridor. Enterprises along the route are already leveraging the opportunity. Qin Yubin, from Guangxi Rongxing Zhongke Company, told reporters that his firm converted a former shipyard into a paper mill in 2014. After the canal's official groundbreaking in 2022, excitement surged: "We now start every client meeting with the canal's story—it's become our calling card." With one-third of its raw materials currently imported—trucks hauling 20 tons versus ships carrying 4,000—Qin expects logistics costs to drop by about 40% and exports to double once the waterway opens. The company plans to build its own dock at the old shipyard site, enabling a "front-port, rear-factory" model. "We intend to share these benefits with Southeast Asian clients," he added.
Post-commission, river-sea cargo can travel from Qinzhou Port northward to cities like Nanning, Guigang, and Liuzhou, with even Baise reachable via ship lifts. Yunnan's Funing Port will also be connected. "We project a throughput of 5 million tons this year, rising to 40 million next year," He Junhui noted. In the Liujing Industrial Park in Hengzhou, a new energy vessel manufacturing base is under rapid construction, focusing on pure electric, methanol, and hydrogen-powered ships, with an annual capacity of about 70 units. Hu Binsheng, deputy general manager of Qin Shi Group's Guangxi Yuanzhou Ship Technology Company, explained: "For centuries, the Xijiang waterway only flowed eastward, and Guangxi's dilemma of being near rivers but not the sea persisted too long. As a business leader investing in Liujing, I see not just a waterway but a major industrial artery. Liujing is transforming from an inland port to a river-sea intermodal hub." He added that the canal influenced over 80% of their site selection decision: "Water transport costs about 10 yuan per ton from Liujing to Qinzhou versus at least 30 yuan to Guangzhou historically, and it's only one-fifth the cost of road transport. The logic of industrial layout will be rewritten—bulk industries will naturally gravitate towards the canal corridor. Our aim is not just a shipyard but to develop standard vessel designs, charging solutions, and smart shipping systems tailored to the canal."
Meanwhile, Guigang City has launched a "Thousand-Sail Plan" to capitalize on the canal's benefits, aiming to cultivate over 1,000 sea-worthy vessels with a total deadweight tonnage exceeding 3 million by September 2028. Upstream in the Liujing Industrial Park, leading firms like Sun Paper and BYD have already established operations, with many expanding facilities. Huang Heyun, a recent graduate, found a job as an inspector at Guangxi Zhiliang New Materials, a battery recycling company benefiting from the waterway. "More factories will line the canal, and factories mean jobs!" she said optimistically.
Fostering Regional Integration and People-to-People Ties
The canal has also captured significant attention across ASEAN. Several ASEAN officials have visited the construction site, impressed by the completion of such a massive project in just four years. Su Yuli, deputy consul at the Vietnamese Consulate General in Nanning, noted, "Once operational, the Pinglu Canal will synergize with other parts of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, aiding trade and cooperation between China and ASEAN, particularly Vietnam, and delivering better returns for businesses." Vietnam exports large volumes of agricultural products like fruit, rice, coffee, and seafood to China annually. Su emphasized that logistics firms would be primary beneficiaries: "The canal will add a new transport route for Vietnam-China trade, allowing more goods to reach China's interior via this waterway." As peak-season congestion often plagues land routes, the canal offers a viable alternative, arriving just in time for the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo, where regional companies hope to expand cooperation.
Zhao Haiyan, chairman of Guangxi Xinzhong Industrial Investment and the China-ASEAN Featured Commodities Hub, a Singaporean businesswoman, expressed strong expectations: "From the New Western Land-Sea Corridor's completion and the Beibu Gulf's expanding shipping routes to the canal's imminent launch, this will fuel new growth in China-ASEAN trade. Singaporean businesses are excited." She highlighted that while "rail-sea transport" previously facilitated rapid exports, the canal now completes the "river-sea" link, turning Guangxi into a "rail-river-sea" trinity hub. "Whether shipping ASEAN products to western China or re-exporting Chinese goods globally via Singapore, companies will enjoy more efficient and stable supply chains. This corridor dividend strengthens trade and enhances Singapore's role as a regional transshipment and trade hub," Zhao explained, adding that reduced logistics costs will boost bilateral trade and foster cultural exchanges, "bringing not just goods flow but people-to-people connection."
Thai expert Cai Weicai, senior vice president at Kasikornbank, remarked that the canal's opening would be a "tiger with wings" for regional trade. It connects Thailand's Laem Chabang Port with Qinzhou Port, expanding export shipping opportunities and reinforcing close economic ties, achieving a win-win situation for all. Lei Xiaohua added that the canal will accelerate the concentration of logistics and human resources in the Beibu Gulf, propelling western China's development and enhancing its commercial ties with ASEAN. Bulk commodities like aluminum, pulp, and agricultural goods are likely early winners. Huang Dongri, a distinguished researcher at Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities' Center for Regional and Country Studies, sees the canal as a crucial piece in the China-ASEAN connectivity puzzle, moving from a "point-to-point" approach to a "network-to-network" collaboration. He drew parallels with the China-Laos Railway: "The railway addresses speed and accessibility for inland routes, while the canal solves high-volume, low-cost needs. They are complementary." The canal's core reach covers Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, and it will enable China's southwestern regions to embed in cross-border industrial chains, deepening the "China exports intermediate goods, ASEAN assembles" pattern. Huang also anticipates the canal spurring new sectors like canal tourism and river-sea cruises, enriching people-to-people exchanges.
As September approaches, the century-project's grand launch is imminent. This waterway, traversing rivers to the sea, promises to bind China's west with ASEAN and the world at large more closely than ever.