{"id":60150787,"date":"2026-09-10T19:59:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T18:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?post_type=news_digest&p=60150787"},"modified":"2026-09-11T00:17:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T23:17:18","slug":"chinas-first-river-to-sea-canal-since-founding-nears-opening","status":"publish","type":"news_digest","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/digest\/chinas-first-river-to-sea-canal-since-founding-nears-opening\/","title":{"rendered":"China set to open first river-to-sea canal since its founding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pinglu canal will open on 16 September, four years after construction began, reports<\/a> Xinhua. It is the first river-to-sea canal to be constructed in the People\u2019s Republic of China since its founding in 1949, notes<\/a> Global Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 134-kilometre-long canal in south China\u2019s Guangxi province connects the Xijiang river system with the Beibu Gulf. It is expected to shorten journeys by about 560 kilometres compared to going via Guangzhou Port, and can accommodate vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes, Xinhua notes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For perishable exports such as Guangxi tangerines, the longer route to Southeast Asia via Guangzhou meant high spoilage rates, Wan Zhe, chief expert at Beijing Normal University\u2019s Belt and Road Institute, told<\/a> media outlet CCTV. With the new canal, the journey could drop from around fifteen days to just three, he said. Annual transport cost savings are estimated to exceed CNY 5 billion (USD 745 million), CCTV noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a major infrastructure project, it has environmental impacts. A 2025 study on the canal construction\u2019s effects on wildlife habitat connectivity, published in the journal Land, found<\/a> the Pinglu project led to a 6% decrease in wildlife habitats and 20% of migration corridors. The authors note that such findings indicate intensified habitat fragmentation and a growing threat to biodiversity in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reduce its impact on ecosystems, the project has incorporated several features. Among its 27 bridges is a 240-metre-long, 20-metre-wide wildlife bridge described<\/a> by People\u2019s Daily as the first dedicated wildlife crossing over a large canal in China. The bridge is closed to pedestrians and vehicles, and aims to maintain migration routes for species including the spotted linsang, leopard cat and red-bellied squirrel, noted<\/a> Outlook Weekly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bridge\u2019s surface is covered with soil and vegetation, and contains sheltered areas and water sources designed to resemble the forest environment, the outlet noted.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project also features a designated fishway, which restores migration routes for fish moving between rivers and the sea, according<\/a> to Xinhua.\u00a0The routes had been disrupted when the Qingnian sluice gate was constructed decades ago, which the canal replaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Dialogue Earth\u2019s recent <\/em>opinion article<\/em><\/a> on China\u2019s marine protection and livelihoods.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pinglu canal, the first river-to-sea project constructed in the People\u2019s Republic of China, will open on 16 September, four years after construction began<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60006649,"template":"","categories":[764],"tags":[511,556,591,610],"country":[20000110],"digest-collection":[50039911],"class_list":["post-60150787","news_digest","type-news_digest","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","tag-biodiversity","tag-infrastructure","tag-shipping","tag-wildlife","country-china"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChina set to open first river-to-sea canal since its founding | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pinglu canal, the first river-to-sea project constructed in the People\u2019s Republic of China, will open on 16 September, four years after construction began\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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