The conceptual design of the Pinglu Canal's Madao Junction, the canal's first cascade hub, in Jiuzhou Town, Lingshan County, Qinzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo courtesy of the Pinglu Canal Group]

The Pinglu Canal under construction in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwest China stands as a significant engineering marvel, marking China's first canal project of such magnitude since the construction of the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal, which dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BCE). The Grand Canal, a historic waterway spanning over 1,800 kilometers and connecting five major river systems, holds a legacy of over 2,000 years.

Originating from the mouth of the Pingtang River,a primary tributary of the Xijiang River, in the Xijin Reservoir Area of Hengzhou City in the eastern part of Nanning City, Guangxi's capital, the Pinglu Canal traverses Luwu Town in Lingshan County, Qinzhou City, before reaching the Beibu Gulf via the QinjiangRiver, opening a shorter route to the sea for Guangxi and other regions in southwest China.

The Pinglu Canal is one of the major projects of China's new western land-sea corridor and a key undertaking of China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025). Upon completion, it will facilitate the direct shipment of goods from Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou through the Xijiang River system to ports in the Beibu Gulf, rather than routing them through neighboring Guangdong Province. This strategic shift is projected to significantly reduce the shipping distance by approximately 560 kilometers.