Guests of the World Canal Conference visited Xing'an Lingqu and explored the thousand-year-old canal

China News Service, Guilin, October 15 (Deng Junbin, Yang Zongsheng) On October 14, the 2026 World Canal Conference entered the field inspection phase. Nearly 400 Chinese and foreign guests visited Xing'an County, Guilin City, Guangxi to visit the Millennium Spiritual Canal. The guests that day focused on the protection, repair and revitalization of Lingqu Canal heritage.

On October 14, guests of the 2026 World Canal Conference visited the Lingqu in Xing'an, Guilin, and visited the mouth of the Lingqu and the "herringbone" shaped dam. (Drone photo) Photo by Yang Zongsheng

Lingqu, built in the Qin Dynasty, connects the Xiangjiang River and the Lijiang River and is one of the oldest canals in the world. At the Lingqu Museum, the guests visited the Lingqu Cultural Exhibition and experienced rubbing techniques. They then went to Nandouge Square to attend the gate opening ceremony, where they viewed core water conservancy facilities such as the Big and Small Tianping Dams and Huazui, and felt the contemporary vitality and vitality of this "living canal".

For ancient canal cities around the world, Lingqu can provide a studyable sample. Liu Jianxin, president of the Lingqu Research Association, said that the core water control wisdom is "following nature, taking advantage of the situation, and integrating nature and man" - understanding nature, respecting nature, and making good use of nature. The Lingqu canal is sited according to the mountain shape and water potential, and is navigable by taking advantage of the natural height difference. It divides water through Panax notoginseng at the mouth of the lake, which is worthy of reference for all water conservancy projects. Today, the effective area of ​​the Lingqu Irrigation Area reaches 65,000 acres, and the "artificial intelligence + museum" model is used to make the heritage "alive". He said that it is necessary to not only protect the heritage and maintain the ecological function of irrigation and flood discharge, but also develop sightseeing and study tourism, and take advantage of the opening of the Pinglu Canal to create Guangxi canal-themed tourist routes.

On October 14, guests from the 2026 World Canal Conference observed the opening ceremony of the steep gate of the Xing'an Ling Canal. Photo by Yang Zongsheng

Thomas Kolarik, head of the Czech Waterways and Inland Water Navigation Public Welfare Organization, said that the trip was very meaningful as it not only visited the Pinglu Canal but also inspected the ancient Ling Canal. He believes that the Pinglu Canal represents "the future of waterways and inland navigation"; by visiting the Lingqu Canal and comparing it with Czech and European canals, he deeply felt that China's canals have a long history. China's experience in canal restoration and cultural and tourism integration can be learned from the Czech Republic. He hopes to share tourism information with China and promote two-way canal tourism.

On October 14, guests of the 2026 World Canal Conference visited the Xing’an Ling Canal in Guilin City for an on-site inspection. Photo by Deng Junbin

John Patterson, chief executive of Scottish Canals, said after the visit: "I was most impressed by the exhibits in the museum. The knowledge base of the staff is incredible. What is particularly impressive is your approach to involving the younger generation in heritage protection. The 'little ambassadors' we met are outstanding young people."

From the Lingqu Canal in the Qin Dynasty, to the upright innovation of the Pinglu Canal in the new era, the two canals span time and space in Guangxi and echo each other. The oriental wisdom of Ling Canal provides a reference for global canal heritage protection, while the green and innovative design of Pinglu Canal contributes "Chinese solutions" to similar ecological projects around the world. (over)