The first canal of the People's Republic of China to connect inland rivers to the sea—the Pinglu Canal—will officially open for navigation tomorrow (September 16). Spanning 134.2 kilometers with a total investment of approximately 72.7 billion yuan, the canal starts at the Pingtang River mouth in Nanning and runs south through Qinzhou along the Qin River to the Beibu Gulf. It is a flagship project of China's New Western Land-Sea Corridor.   As China's highest-grade navigable canal, it can accommodate 5,000-tonne vessels and features three cascade hubs. The Madao Hub alone holds two world records: the largest water-level drop for a water-saving ship lock and the largest inland water-saving ship lock. Guangxi's integrated smart dispatch platform for river-sea-ocean water transport is now fully operational, with emergency support, cargo sourcing, and operational preparations in place—all ready for the canal's opening.   Once operational, the canal will cut the inland waterway voyage for goods from southwestern China by at least 560 kilometers, while also significantly shortening voyages to major ASEAN ports. It is expected to reduce logistics costs by 18%–30%, saving over 5 billion yuan in annual transport costs. The Pinglu Canal will further facilitate domestic and international trade, fundamentally reshaping the logistics corridor and economic geography of southwestern China while injecting strong momentum into regional development.