China has started building its first new canal in many centuries.
Linking Nanning, capital of South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, with the Beibu Gulf, the Pinglu Canal will be 134.2 km long and is one of three canal projects planners aim to get constructed across the nation in the coming years.
The $10.3bn Pinglu Canal, scheduled to open by the end of 2026, will allow ships to travel from far inland and reach the Beibu Gulf near the border with Vietnam via the Qinjiang River.
Among the design feats of the new waterway, the canal will feature the world’s largest inland water-saving ship lock.
