Is Another Century-Long Canal on the Horizon? China Is Frantically “Digging Canals”—Behind It Lies a True Battle for National Destiny.

Another century-old canal is reporting new developments.

Recently, Zhejiang Province’s “Implementation Opinions on High-Level Development of ‘Shipping Zhejiang’” officially came into effect, explicitly proposing to plan and advance the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Canal.

The news has once again sparked widespread debate. As a segment of the Zhejiang–Jiangxi–Guangdong Canal, the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Canal will pass through cities including Hangzhou and Quzhou in Zhejiang Province and Shangrao, Yingtan, and Nanchang in Jiangxi Province, with a planned total length of approximately 760 kilometers. It is hailed as a landmark waterway project of the century, designed to connect the Yangtze River system with the Qiantang River system.

Why is Zhejiang, which leads the nation in wealth and boasts a dense network of highways and high-speed railways, still working tirelessly to open up the “major artery” of its canal system?

In fact, China is vigorously “digging canals,” striving to usher the entire country into a “new canal era.”

According to incomplete statistics, at least eight major provinces have joined forces to invest more than 850 billion yuan in revitalizing inland waterway transport—

The Zhejiang–Jiangxi–Guangdong Canal is projected to have a total investment of RMB 320 billion, surpassing the Grand Canal of Beijing–Hangzhou to become the world’s longest canal—stretching roughly the distance from Beijing to Xiamen—and thereby resolving the awkward situation of the “Jiangxi Economic Circle.”

The Xiang-Gui Canal, with a massive investment of RMB 150 billion, will further link the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Delta economic region, thereby providing Hunan Province with access to two major seaports.

The Jianghuai Canal, with a total investment of RMB 95 billion, connects the Yangtze River and the Huai River and is now navigable.

The Jinghan Canal project is slated to cost 74.8 billion yuan, aiming to “straighten the bend” of the Yangtze River and thereby eliminate bottlenecks in the middle reaches of the river.

The Pinglu Canal, with a total investment exceeding RMB 68 billion, is effectively creating a “seaport” for Guangxi, making it the shortest maritime access route in Southwest China. Currently, about 70% of the project has been completed, and it is slated for completion in 2026.

The Henan Canal Network plans to invest 141.6 billion yuan in 47 inland waterway transport projects, aiming to seamlessly integrate into the Yangtze River Delta.

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It should be noted that, if successfully constructed, each of these canal projects would qualify as a project of the century, with a total investment roughly equivalent to that of seven Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridges!

Why, in an era when high-speed rail networks are ubiquitous and subways crisscross cities, are we still frantically digging canals? Behind this lies a true battle for the nation’s destiny.

Never underestimate the power of a river.

In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal shortened sea routes between Europe and Asia by at least 7,000 kilometers, effectively erasing the vast distances that once separated the two continents.

By the late 13th century, the Grand Canal connecting Beijing and Hangzhou had completed the final stage of the north–south shift of China’s economic center.

Today, one after another of these “blood-and-bone” canal projects is once again unblocking and linking China’s dormant waterways, thereby forging a new network of natural corridors that crisscross the mountains and rivers.

The Zhejiang–Jiangxi Canal, which has recently been the subject of new developments, has been the focus of related research since 1986. However, due to the complex interplay of factors—including inter-provincial coordination, ecological and environmental impact assessments, and economic feasibility studies—the project remains in the preliminary planning stage. Although substantive construction has yet to commence, its considerable length, substantial investment requirements, and far-reaching implications have ensured that it continues to attract widespread attention.

Just how significant will its impact be? To put it simply, a Zhejiang–Jiangxi–Guangdong Canal would span the three provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Guangdong, with a planned total length of 1,988 kilometers—194 kilometers longer than the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal—and would even directly connect with the latter, making it an unprecedented, monumental undertaking.

Zhejiang’s Qiantang River “joins hands” with Jiangxi’s Poyang Lake; Jiangxi’s Gan River “meets” Guangdong’s Bei River; and with direct waterway access from the Yangtze River Delta to the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, Jiangxi will finally break free from its long-standing isolation as the “Akalin Province.”

Exceptional transport capacity translates into remarkably low transportation costs. According to calculations, waterborne transport costs are half those of rail transport, one-fifth of road transport, and one-twentieth of air transport.

Perhaps the region that stands to benefit the most is Jiangxi. After all, Jiangxi is extraordinarily rich in mineral resources and is one of China’s largest bases for nonferrous, rare, rare-earth, and uranium minerals, earning it the nicknames “World Tungsten Capital” and “Kingdom of Rare Earths.” Thanks to the canal network, bulk commodities can be transported efficiently between the north and south at low freight rates, connecting with the seaports of the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta and reaching markets around the globe.

Given enough time, Jiangxi could leverage its well-developed water transport network and abundant resources to develop upstream and downstream industries, thereby defying the odds and reshaping its destiny.

At present, the canals that are most eagerly anticipated—such as the Zhejiang–Jiangxi–Guangdong Canal—are often also the most challenging to implement.

As Hubei—a pivotal transportation hub and a region crisscrossed by an extensive waterway network—has demonstrated the greatest vision in canal construction, it is vigorously seeking national support to advance the Jinghan Canal project, which has been in the planning stages for a decade.

Last October, a notice of the winning bid for the planning and consulting services for the Jinghan Canal Project drew widespread attention, underscoring Hubei’s ongoing and relentless efforts.

At this year’s Two Sessions, Huang Yan, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and president of Three Gorges University, once again proposed the construction of the Jinghan Canal to fully harness the comprehensive benefits of the Yangtze River as a “golden waterway.” It is worth noting that Huang Yan previously served as the deputy chief engineer of the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission under the Ministry of Water Resources, making her a highly qualified expert representative. She stated that, in order to resolve the bottlenecks in navigation along the section of the river between Yichang and Wuhan, a team of academicians and experts from Hubei Province has, in line with the principles of ecological priority and green development, conducted nearly a decade of scientific research and put forward the Jinghan Canal project proposal. The relevant research findings and planning are now fully mature.

Why is the Jinghan Canal said to be so imaginative?

This canal will effectively “straighten” the course of the Yangtze River, cutting a roughly 230-kilometer-long, 8-meter-deep, 90-meter-wide artificial waterway from the Songziku section in Songzi City to the Dongjinghekou section in Wuhan, capable of accommodating 10,000-ton-class vessels!

The project is expected to have a total investment of RMB 78.4 billion, making it another “project of the century,” while also delivering exceptionally substantial returns.

As a result, coupled with the upgrade of the existing waterway, 10,000-ton-class vessels will be able to sail directly to Chongqing via the Jinghan Canal and the new Three Gorges Waterway Transport Channel, shortening the voyage by approximately 260 kilometers, reducing transit time by about 14 hours, and cutting annual logistics costs by RMB 30 billion—thereby significantly enhancing the efficiency of Yangtze River shipping.

Once completed, the “bottleneck” problem in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River will be a thing of the past.

Compared with the Zhejiang–Jiangxi–Guangdong Canal and the Jing–Han Canal, the next century-long canal that is likely to be closer to us is the Xiang–Guilin Canal.

This canal, with a projected total investment of RMB 150 billion and a length of 300 kilometers, will traverse Hunan and Guangxi provinces, earning it the moniker of a modern-day “Lingqu Canal.” It will connect the water network of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area directly to the entire Yangtze River basin via Hunan.

Once the project is fully connected, Hunan will achieve a groundbreaking dual-sea-access strategy—linking to the Yangtze River in the north and the Pearl River in the south—benefiting the entire central and western regions.

For this very reason, the entire province of Hunan is deeply committed and spares no effort in accelerating the construction of this canal.

At this year’s Two Sessions, the Hunan delegation put forward 11 group-wide proposals, with the Xiang-Gui Canal topping the list. At the 2023 National Two Sessions, too, the Xiang-Gui Canal once again took center stage as the very first proposal on the Hunan delegation’s agenda.

For Hunan, once the Xiang–Guang Canal is completed, the waterborne distance for cargo from the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River to the Beibu Gulf will be shortened by approximately 1,200 kilometers. As a province that connects the Yangtze and Pearl River systems, Hunan will undoubtedly transform into a major shipping hub along the north–south waterway corridor, while the port positions of cities such as Yueyang, Changsha, Xiangtan, Zhuzhou, Hengyang, and Yongzhou will also experience a significant boost.

That scene is truly breathtaking.

Under no circumstances should you think these provinces are dreaming.

Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Henan, and Anhui—these provinces already embody China’s formidable regional strength and are tirelessly pressing ahead; success is bound to come one day. Moreover, the benefits will by no means be confined to these provinces alone—they will extend to the entire country.

Didn’t the Pinglu Canal, which for decades remained unimplemented in Guangxi, nearly be completed just recently?

Zeng Gang, Director of the Institute for Urban Development at East China Normal University, stated that, given China’s current infrastructure capabilities, engineering and technical challenges are no longer the primary constraints on project implementation; the key difficulties now lie in economic viability, ecological impacts, and regional coordination.

Experts analyze that local governments are highly enthusiastic about canal construction, primarily due to two key factors. First, from an economic perspective, water transport offers the advantages of high cargo capacity and low costs, which can effectively reduce regional logistics expenses. Second, as a major infrastructure project, canal construction plays a crucial role in stimulating the local economy, promoting employment, and driving growth in upstream and downstream industries.

The Ministry of Transport’s “Outline for the Development of Inland Waterway Shipping” sets forth the goal that by 2035, the total length of 1,000-ton-class inland waterways in China will reach 25,000 kilometers.

However, at present, China’s navigable waterways capable of accommodating vessels of 1,000-ton class total only 15,000 kilometers, which means that another approximately 10,000 kilometers of such waterways must be opened to navigation over the next decade.

It can be said that the “Canal Dream” is itself a form of “new” infrastructure, driving new growth opportunities for local development in the new era.

Today, China places greater emphasis than ever on strengthening the “domestic major circulation,” with water transport playing a crucial role.

Many have overlooked the fact that in 2024, China’s total social logistics costs as a share of GDP stood at 14.1%, a historic low but a relatively modest decline from 2020’s 14.7%.

This is because China’s logistics and transportation system has already encountered significant bottlenecks.

How can we further reduce this share to the 7%–10% level seen in developed countries? Water transport is a crucial lever. Although China is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of river networks, currently navigable waterways are concentrated mainly in the Yangtze and Pearl River basins and remain largely unconnected; in many areas, channels are silted up, vessels run aground, and the network is fragmented, indicating that water transport infrastructure remains quite underdeveloped.

Simply put, China’s water transport system has yet to form a sufficiently comprehensive network. However, with the gradual completion of one “century canal” after another, this situation is poised to undergo a fundamental transformation.

They are like the eight meridians that have been unblocked, enabling China’s inland waterway transport to crisscross and seamlessly connect, ultimately forming a super waterway network that stretches from east to west and radiates north and south, covering the entire Chinese landmass:

With the lifeblood flowing vigorously, economic vitality flows endlessly as well.

Going forward, this major reshuffling of China’s inland waterway shipping sector also presents a historic opportunity for each relevant province to leapfrog ahead and achieve rapid development and rise.

Some say that China missed the Age of Discovery in history, yet is now reshaping a brand-new era of global shipping.

Such an epic opportunity must not be missed.