Set to open on September 16, 2026, the 134.2-kilometer Pinglu Canal directly connects inland waterways in southwestern China to the sea, reducing shipping distances to the ocean by 560 kilometers and cutting regional logistics costs by 18 to 30 percent.

The project is driving substantial industrial migration and investment, with local logistics hubs expanding to accommodate larger cargo vessels and integrate cross-border transport routes.

Beyond business, the project improves local livelihoods by relocating over 6,000 residents into 13 modern, fully equipped resettlement townships and creating more than 70,000 construction jobs. Environmental protection remains central to the build, highlighted by innovative composite fishways, dedicated wildlife overpasses, and the restoration of tens of thousands of local mangrove trees.

Source: People’s Daily