Guilin and its Lingqu Museum in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have been approved by Inland Waterways International (IWI) to host the 2026 World Canals Conference. This was announced by IWI President Rudy Van der Ween on Oct 26.

The World Canals Conference has a rich history dating back to 1988. Since then, there have been 34 sessions of the conference, with one year skipped in 2020. The previous editions of this event in China were held in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, in 2012 and 2019.

Lingqu River, located in Xing"an county of Guilin, has been utilized since 214 BC, making it one of the oldest canals in the world. It is renowned as the "Pearl of Ancient Hydraulic Engineering". The canal flows from east to west, connecting the Haiyang River east of Xing'an county and the Darong River west of the county.

Inland Waterways International is the organizing body of the World Canals Conference and has 87 members from 26 countries and regions.