A vessel sails along the Pinglu Canal near the Madao hub. Photo: Courtesy of Pinglu Canal Group

The newly opened Pinglu Canal in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has become a focal point of discussion for industry experts from home and abroad at the ongoing World Canals Conference 2026 (WCC) in Guilin, Guangxi, as many hailed the canal's economic value, engineering feats and ecological contribution. 

The conference runs from Monday to Friday in Guilin. Notably, this year's event closely follows the recent opening of the Pinglu Canal, which is also located in the autonomous region in South China.

The 134.2-kilometer Pinglu Canal is the first canal planned and coordinated at the national level since 1949 to connect a river to the sea, and it opens up the shortest, most economical, and most convenient sea outlet for southwestern China. 

It is a backbone project of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor that connects with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and marks a major addition to the nation's river network.

The project has set four world records among comparable canals: the highest navigation capacity, the fastest ship-lock transit speed, the highest lift for a water-saving ship lock, and the largest water-saving ship lock on an inland waterway.

As hundreds of canal experts from home and abroad gathered in Guilin, the Pinglu Canal's engineering achievements as well as other features such as ecological protection, were constantly acknowledged by participants in the event.

"There is something quite remarkable about witnessing the beginning of an entirely new canal corridor," Sharon Leighton, president of Inland Waterways International, said at the opening ceremony of the event on Tuesday. "The Pinglu Canal introduces a new chapter in the long story of populations using waterways to connect and create opportunity."

"Of everything I know, this is remarkable and leading," Leighton told the Global Times on Monday, commenting on the canal's engineering achievements in solving technical difficulties.

Tomas Kolark, a canal expert from the Czech Republic, told the Global Times that the Pinglu Canal is very impressive in terms of engineering and water management.

"I was watching closely the preparations and mainly the construction of the canal, and it was very interesting to see it now with my own eyes," Kolark said. "Another interesting approach of the canal was, for example, it is maybe one of the world's first bridges for wildlife crossings." 

As a project built with protecting the environment and ecology in mind, the Pinglu Canal has built fish passages, animal bridges and bird corridors, reflecting a deliberate effort to harmonize infrastructure with nature, the Global Times learned from Pinglu Canal Group, the builder of the canal.

"It was interesting to see that 98 percent of the material excavated from the canal's construction was used for construction purposes. In all, it's very interesting to see how the canal was planned and built, and we could see today how it's used," said Kolark.

Eddie Lee, a participant in the event, told the Global Times that she learned through visits to some of the hubs along the Pinglu Canal, where she saw how engineers tackled the difficulties in managing the high-water lift. She also understood the special technology used on the ship lock's gates to ensure smooth opening and closing while withstanding the high pressure.

"It's interesting to know that Chinese engineers have worked with academia and top technology universities to tackle the issues," Lee said. 

"I understand that it will be very important for the economy in Guangxi, in [Southwest China's] Guizhou Province, and in [Southwest China's] Yunnan Province. I have traveled a lot in China, seeing that some southern parts have not developed as fast as northern or eastern parts. I think the Pinglu Canal will make a big difference."

For its achievement, the Pinglu Canal Project was awarded the Green Design International Award by the World Green Design Organization on Tuesday, according to the Beijing-based stdaily.com.