China’s Pinglu Canal, the first nationally planned river-to-sea canal built since 1949, is set to open to navigation on September 16 in Guangxi, southern China.⁣ ⁣ Stretching 134.2 kilometers, the canal will link inland Guangxi with the Beibu Gulf, shortening the shipping route to the sea by up to 560 kilometers. With a total water-level difference of 65 meters, it is designed to accommodate vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes.⁣ ⁣ Once operational, the canal is expected to cut annual transportation costs by around 5 billion yuan (US$700 million).⁣ ⁣ Let's take a first-person journey along the canal.⁣ ⁣ #canal #ChinaMoments #infrastructure #transport ⁣