On 16 September, 2026, the Pinglu Canal, built with a total investment of approximately RMB 72.7 billion and capable of accommodating vessels of up to 5,000 tons, was officially opened to navigation. Southwestern China has thereby secured its shortest, most cost-efficient, and most convenient seaward corridor.

Cargo originating from southwestern China and shipped via this new route will shorten the inland waterway route by more than 560 kilometers compared with the traditional route through Guangzhou Port. Overall logistics costs are projected to fall by 18% to 30%, saving over RMB 5.2 billion in transportation expenses each year.

The engineering team constructed three major navigation hubs along the route: Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian. Taken together, the three hubs are able to save more than one billion cubic meters of water each year, greatly easing pressure on water resources in the Xijiang River basin.

The Pinglu Canal is not merely a line drawn on a map. Through reshaping mountains and rivers, it fundamentally transforms the seaward access pattern for southwestern China and the broader inland hinterland!