An aerial drone photo taken on June 3, 2026 shows water being pumped into the Madao hub on the Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Water began flowing through the final sections of the Pinglu Canal on Wednesday, bringing the long-awaited shortcut to the coast in south China a step closer to opening for navigation.

As water was pumped into the canal on Wednesday morning, the 134.2-kilometer waterway has now achieved full-channel connectivity and entered the final phase ahead of its expected inauguration in September.

Stretching from the Pingtang River in Hengzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to the Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, the Pinglu Canal is the backbone of the country's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a key initiative enhancing global trade connectivity for China's western inland regions. (Photo by Zhao Zhenyu/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 3, 2026 shows water being pumped into the Madao hub on the Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Water began flowing through the final sections of the Pinglu Canal on Wednesday, bringing the long-awaited shortcut to the coast in south China a step closer to opening for navigation.

As water was pumped into the canal on Wednesday morning, the 134.2-kilometer waterway has now achieved full-channel connectivity and entered the final phase ahead of its expected inauguration in September.

Stretching from the Pingtang River in Hengzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to the Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, the Pinglu Canal is the backbone of the country's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a key initiative enhancing global trade connectivity for China's western inland regions. (Photo by Zhao Zhenyu/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 3, 2026 shows water being pumped into the Qishi hub on the Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Water began flowing through the final sections of the Pinglu Canal on Wednesday, bringing the long-awaited shortcut to the coast in south China a step closer to opening for navigation.

As water was pumped into the canal on Wednesday morning, the 134.2-kilometer waterway has now achieved full-channel connectivity and entered the final phase ahead of its expected inauguration in September.

Stretching from the Pingtang River in Hengzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to the Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, the Pinglu Canal is the backbone of the country's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a key initiative enhancing global trade connectivity for China's western inland regions. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 3, 2026 shows water being pumped into the Qishi hub on the Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Water began flowing through the final sections of the Pinglu Canal on Wednesday, bringing the long-awaited shortcut to the coast in south China a step closer to opening for navigation.

As water was pumped into the canal on Wednesday morning, the 134.2-kilometer waterway has now achieved full-channel connectivity and entered the final phase ahead of its expected inauguration in September.

Stretching from the Pingtang River in Hengzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to the Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, the Pinglu Canal is the backbone of the country's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a key initiative enhancing global trade connectivity for China's western inland regions. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 3, 2026 shows water being pumped into the Madao hub on the Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Water began flowing through the final sections of the Pinglu Canal on Wednesday, bringing the long-awaited shortcut to the coast in south China a step closer to opening for navigation.

As water was pumped into the canal on Wednesday morning, the 134.2-kilometer waterway has now achieved full-channel connectivity and entered the final phase ahead of its expected inauguration in September.

Stretching from the Pingtang River in Hengzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to the Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, the Pinglu Canal is the backbone of the country's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a key initiative enhancing global trade connectivity for China's western inland regions. (Photo by Zhao Zhenyu/Xinhua)