The Pinglu Canal, the pioneering waterway project constructed under national-level planning since the founding of New China, will officially open to navigation on September 16. This 134.2-kilometer canal is built to inland Class I waterway standards, allowing for the passage of 5,000-ton vessels.

To address the significant elevation difference along its route, the project comprises three cascade shipping hubs—Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian—constructed from upstream to downstream. All hubs have successfully completed joint commissioning with water, and full-route vessel navigation tests using real ships have been finished. Anchorage areas, service zones, and navigation assistance facilities have all met navigational requirements.

Currently, the four core sectors of waterway infrastructure, hub operations, command dispatch, and maritime law enforcement are fully prepared. A total of 570 vessels have registered and obtained navigation qualifications for the Pinglu Canal. He Changhai, deputy squadron leader of the Qinzhou Port Area Maritime Office, stated that with navigation imminent and ships preparing to transit the locks, their team is meticulously verifying every vessel's dimensions, draft, and entry and exit reports to ensure safe lock passage.

As of September 12, the first batch of foreign trade cargo for passage through the Pinglu Canal has been cleared through customs smoothly. This cargo will depart from Nanning Port on September 16 aboard the "Beigang Nanning Borun", the canal's inaugural river-sea direct foreign trade vessel, bound for Can Tho Port in Vietnam.

Upon completion, the Pinglu Canal will establish the shortest, most economical, and most convenient water transport route connecting Guangxi and China's southwestern region to the ASEAN market. Originating from Pingtang River Estuary in Hengzhou, Nanning, and traversing Luwu Town in Lingshan County, Qinzhou, before entering the Beibu Gulf along the Qin River, the canal spans over 134 kilometers... This substantial investment was necessary to build three tiered navigation hubs to manage the roughly 65-meter elevation drop between the starting point and the sea, ensuring safe and smooth passage for vessels.

Qishi Hub, situated in Lingshan County, Qinzhou, functions as the crucial intermediary for water level regulation, playing a vital relay role in the entire system. Its strongest attribute lies in its ability to seamlessly connect the other hubs. Meanwhile, Qingnian Hub, located nearest to the Beibu Gulf as the lowest cascade, uniquely addresses the challenges of river-sea convergence, silt prevention, and saltwater intrusion, featuring the nation's largest mutually irrigating and discharging water-saving ship lock.

Once operational, cargo from the southwest routed through the Pinglu Canal will see its inland waterway journey reduced by over 560 kilometers compared to the path via Guangzhou Port. This significantly strengthens the logistics network that connects the east and west, and the north and south. In a recent demonstration of its efficiency, 3,012.66 tons of potassium chloride traveled from Vung Ang Port in Vietnam to Guigang via the Pinglu Canal, cutting the travel distance by nearly 500 kilometers and shortening transport time by 5-7 days compared to traditional routes. This voyage highlights the canal's accelerating impact on supporting industry, smoothing cross-border logistics, and boosting regional openness.

Ahead of the September 16 opening, preparations are in full swing. A train from Liuzhou, carrying ten containers of specialized cement—part of the first cargo batch for the canal—is pulling into the Liujing service area at Nanning Port, awaiting the start of river-sea intermodal services to Hainan's Yangpu Port. Cargo owner Kong Fanqiang anticipates shipping several hundred thousand tons of cement annually through the canal, noting significant savings in both time and cost—over ten days and several hundred thousand yuan saved on cement transport alone.

Many shippers have calculated similar benefits. A large number of foreign trade companies in the southwest hinterland are eagerly awaiting the canal's launch, with freight vessels arriving in readiness. The "Beigang Nanning Borun", a Panama-flagged foreign trade vessel with a deadweight of 4,443 tons, is docked at Nanning Port, marking the first time an international vessel has berthed at this inland port. This historic arrival signifies a breakthrough in direct foreign trade shipping from the Beibu Gulf to Nanning and establishes the port's foreign-related shipping and river-sea direct transport support system. The "Nanning-Can Tho" direct route is ready for its maiden voyage.

The cargo manifest for the "Beigang Nanning Borun" includes building materials and chemical raw materials from Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guangxi, as well as auto parts from Liuzhou. This cargo consolidates at Nanning Port via rail before heading to Can Tho Port in Vietnam through the canal—a true end-to-end river-sea journey. Beyond providing an exit for southwest goods, the canal also creates an efficient path for importing raw materials. The "Yonghai 668", loaded with potash imported from Laos via Vietnam, is berthed at Qinzhou Port and will proceed to the Madao Hub and then on to Guigang's Beigang Terminal. Enterprise manager Huang Jiantao expects business volumes to surge following the canal's opening, projecting new river-sea intermodal throughput of at least 2 million tons in 2026 and 10 million tons in 2027.

Cargo consolidation efforts began a year in advance to underpin the canal's routine operations. Logistics executive Qin Zhenqiang mentioned that his team has visited nearly 200 companies across Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guangxi. They have already secured substantial cargo reserves, and these enterprises are very optimistic about the tangible benefits the canal will deliver.

The shipping hardware is also being upgraded in anticipation of the new logistics landscape. The 5,000-ton smart ship demonstration vessel "Beigang Canal 002" is among the first smart ships built for the Pinglu Canal. Its engine room equipment features second-level data collection and predictive fault alerts, and it boasts capabilities for autonomous berthing, navigation, and remote control. An intelligent energy efficiency system optimizes performance based on real-time cargo load, water currents, and speed. Equipped with a six-lens panoramic camera system, it provides oversight of the surrounding water area for up to 5 kilometers, supplemented by solid-state radar for longer-range detection.

As a purpose-built smart, green demonstration vessel, the "Beigang Canal 002" is integral to building a comprehensive rail-river-sea shipping system. Currently, 570 vessels have navigation qualifications, and 681 crew members have received their "Pinglu Canal route endorsements". Logistics enterprise owner Yue Hongyan notes that most qualified vessels are in the 3,000 to 5,000-ton class, with types including container, bulk, and multipurpose ships capable of handling sand, gravel, building materials, bulk commodities, and containers—a testament to years of standardization on the Xijiang River shipping route.

Up and down the canal's ports, operations are being upgraded across the board. Gu Rencao, Party Secretary and Chairman of Guangxi Beigang Xijiang Port Co., Ltd., says they will continue to refine terminal operations, boost foreign trade cargo handling efficiency, and streamline the logistics chain from Nanning Port through the canal to ASEAN markets. Customs and border inspection agencies are coordinating to ensure smooth passage for all cargo types. Lu Yu, Deputy Customs Commissioner of Yongzhou Customs, explained that they are implementing various regulatory models, including river-sea intermodal and co-located supervision for domestic and foreign trade containers, to offer flexible "à la carte" customs clearance services tailored to different enterprise needs.

So, what exactly has this four-year, 72.7 billion yuan project changed for the southwest region? The investment, averaging 540 million yuan per kilometer, has fundamentally ended Guangxi's historical situation of being coastal yet lacking a direct river route to the sea. While major rivers flow through Guangxi, they traditionally empty into the South China Sea via Guangdong. This meant that the province's own cargo, and that of the broader southwest, often had to ship through Guangdong ports. The Pinglu Canal changes this by providing a direct link from the Pingtang River Estuary in Nanning to the Beibu Gulf, cutting the seaward journey by 560 kilometers and enabling 5,000-ton vessels to reach the port directly.

This proximity translates into tangible economic gains. An orchard of citrus fruits near the canal, ready for November harvest, exemplifies the benefit—exporting via the canal eliminates 560 kilometers of distance and reduces waiting times for customs clearance, transshipment, and consolidation. Business leader Luo Zenggui highlights that his company can now clear customs at Nanning instead of driving 14 hours to Shenzhen's Shekou Port, saving roughly 4,000 yuan per container and cutting transit time to Ho Chi Minh City to about 3 days. Similarly, for bulk commodities like bauxite and coal, water transport via the canal saves approximately 30% in freight costs per ton compared to road or rail, with overall transit times nearly halved, as calculated by business figure Ning Ziran.

The canal's influence extends well beyond Guangxi. The entire southwest region now has access to a closer seaport. Agricultural products and green aluminum from Yunnan, tea and photovoltaic products from Guizhou, construction machinery and vehicle parts from Hunan, and goods from Sichuan and Chongqing can all benefit from this new water route. A train from Sichuan has already been arranged to deliver goods to Vietnam via the canal in September. In total, shipping southwest cargo to ASEAN via this route is projected to save around 5.2 billion yuan in freight annually, reducing overall logistics costs by 18% to 30%.

On a broader scale, the Pinglu Canal is set to become a vital new water corridor linking China and ASEAN, tightening regional connection. International visitors observing the project, such as Peng Somany from Cambodia's national news agency and Thai journalist Zhang Aizhe, see immense potential. They anticipate that the canal will facilitate the efficient entry of high-quality Cambodian rice, fruit, and other agricultural products into China and present a significant opportunity for Thai enterprises to transport goods more conveniently to China. Beyond goods, this project will likely spur cooperation in the marine economy, cross-border tourism, and vocational education, opening new avenues for regional economic and cultural collaboration.

Looking at the G75 Lanhai Expressway's Qinjiang Bridge, the vertical projection line at the southern edge marks the boundary where the canal's fresh river water meets the sea. This monumental project represents a 72.7 billion yuan investment that does more than just provide a "game-changing" sea outlet for Guangxi. It is forging new opportunities for the vast southwest hinterland and neighboring countries, accelerating regional economic integration through a brand new, efficient channel.