An aerial view of Lingqu Canal, which dates back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). The man-made waterway is a pioneering hydraulic and navigational feat, helping the economic and social development of surrounding areas. FU HONGYUAN/FOR CHINA DAILY

Ancient waterway poised to tap deep heritage channeling tradition with innovation toward sustainable future, Alexis Hooi and Zhang Li report in Guilin, Guangxi.

Ask Ji Zhenyong to pick his favorite spot in town and he will point immediately to the weathered stone walkways next to the water's edge.

"The canal is linked deeply to our history and heritage here, you can say it runs in our blood," he said.

Ji, 54, is a resident of Xing'an county in Guilin, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. He is also the 17th generation of doujun — traditional weir and water lock sentinels charged with guarding and maintaining the Lingqu Canal, an ancient waterway built 2,200 years ago when the country was first unified.

"We've been so much a part of Lingqu, looking after it," Ji said. "Of course, we don't actually guard it now in modern times, but it's still our role as responsible residents to help keep it flowing steadily and smoothly, through a healthy, clean and sustainable environment."

Ji's sense of duty reflects the latest efforts to preserve and promote Lingqu's physical, cultural and social value — the man-made waterway is the first of its kind, a pioneering hydraulic, navigational feat stretching 36.4 kilometers through four major towns as it links the Xiang and Lijiang rivers and, by extension, the major Yangtze and Pearl river basins.

The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage recognizes Lingqu Canal as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure, "an exquisite illustration of Chinese technical and engineering capabilities ... helping the economic and social development of rural areas".

Lingqu is also on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list, being considered for nomination as a site of outstanding universal value.

According to the UNESCO citation, the canal is lauded as a model of early canals that reflects the "Asian hydraulic and navigation technology of ancient civilization".It "integrates navigation, irrigation and flood control functions and is an outstanding example of comprehensive, sustainable and effective use of natural resources in traditional Chinese agricultural society", helping to maintain stability in the south of a unified country.

Young visitors to Lingqu learn more about the waterway. CHINA DAILY

Successful blend

Today, the Lingqu Canal "stands as an important cultural heritage and a multifunctional hydraulic project serving irrigation, flood control, water supply and tourism", altogether offering a successful blend of tradition and innovation ranging from trade to tourism.

"Following the unification of ancient China under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), Qinshihuang, the era's first ruler, set about building a waterway for grain transport that would help sustain his armies heading south, with the project completed in 214 BC," said Chen Xinghua, honorary president of the Lingqu research association.

"Known subsequently as the Lingqu Canal, this vital link became a benchmark for flood control and irrigation, spurring the agricultural development of the area, making it a water transport, cultural and tourism hub," Chen said.

"Lingqu connected China's central plains with its south, playing a major role in cultural and material exchanges between China and overseas. It connected the hinterland with the southern ports and, as such, the ancient Maritime Silk Road," he said.

A Lingqu boat ride allows visitors to take in the lush greenery lining the canal. CHINA DAILY

"For example, figurines of foreigners in the Han (206 BC-220) and Tang (618-907) dynasties were successively found on the banks of Lingqu. They are the products of cultural exchanges between China and the West," Chen said.

Protecting Lingqu's rich legacy for everyone includes its structures, surrounding environment and water quality, said Bi Huangwen, secretary of the Xing'an county Party committee.

"We will strengthen the environment along the canal, maintain and restore its scenic spots and cultural relics and uphold high water quality, all adhering to international standards," he said.

"We all know that to be listed as a World Heritage Site, it is very important to protect the original features of the ancient canal ... to carry out the relevant measures in line with local development."

To that effect, major rural tourism demonstration areas and villages will help spur the pillar tourism sector in line with Lingqu's sustainable growth, Bi said.

"In 2022, Lingqu and its surroundings received more than 7.59 million tourist visits, raking in 7.7 billion yuan ($1.06 billion) in tourism consumption and winning national industry honors," he said.

"Through protection, promotion and utilization, this ancient canal is radiating new vitality, and the local culture it nurtures will continue to live on. Lingqu still plays its role in irrigation, flood drainage and water supply, covering more than 4,300 hectares of farmland yielding local specialty produce such as rice noodles, glutinous cakes and Sanhua rice liquor."

Major gathering

In the latest nod to the canal's heritage, Inland Waterways International's president, Rudy Van der Ween, announced in late October that Guilin and its Lingqu museum would host the 2026 World Canals Conference.

"A World Canals Conference is the opportunity to bring together hundreds of canal enthusiasts, professionals and scholars from around the world, to exchange good practices on canals, including the protection of historic canals or features, revitalization of canal systems, harbor sites, canal trails and amenities; the presentation or interpretation of canals and corridors — their history and various elements; canals as a means to promote tourism, spur economic development and urban renewal," Van der Ween said.

"The World Canals Conference offers seminars and exhibits to participants on everything from how to interpret a canal site or trail, to the engineering and technical challenges of reopening or maintaining a canal. Recent presentations have included consultant experience for new initiatives, the advantages of turning towpaths into trails, taking a canal from being the back door of a community to becoming the front door, dealing with masonry structures, and interpretive techniques," he said.

Lu Yaoru, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and honorary advisor to the Xing'an Lingqu research institute, said the sustainable development of the canal requires policies and measures to ensure the rational use and protection of its water and land resources.

He said it was also necessary to improve the service level and quality of attractions, to create a more complete tourism system through scenic spots that reflect Lingqu's heritage.

"Lingqu is a great project that belongs to the Chinese people and the people of the world. As it continues to benefit all of us, we should have it play a greater leading and exemplary role in ecological civilization," Lu said.

Lingqu's "great aesthetic value "also offers a "typical example of Chinese ancient canal landscapes", forming scenes of bucolic beauty that "perfectly blended the waterways with its surrounding environment to present a picture of harmony between nature and Chinese farming tradition", according to its UNESCO citation.

The canal's cultural traditions are kept alive by residents, such as painter Zeng Jinglan, who set up a studio right next to the waterway.

Zeng, 67, has taken part in exhibitions and exchanges worldwide but returns to her roots in Xing'an, painting the flora and fauna that thrive along Lingqu.

"I've always been drawn to the grass, flowers and birds, right here at home," Zeng said.

"I once also wrote a poem about the beautiful environment here. I was abroad then and when I came back, it was exactly how I had imagined it to be."

Zeng has more than 100 students, ranging in age from 4 to older than 50, sharing Lingqu's cultural and artistic traditions with them.

At the Xing'an No. 2 Primary School nearby, 12-year-old Jiang Xuan has also been doing her part to help those traditions survive and thrive.

Jiang has been spending much of her co-curricular activities as a young docent introducing Lingqu's heritage and culture to visitors.

"I live just 5 km from here and often practice my guzheng (Chinese zither) by the water," Jiang said. "Lingqu is very close to us."

Her principal, Lei Miao, said the school conducts regular classes on Lingqu's fascinating history and heritage, such as on classical poems extolling its beauty and importance, to ensure that future generations understand the depth of its links with the community.

"There's a small library dedicated to Lingqu heritage. We've also introduced textbooks on Lingqu as part of the curriculum, with the students helping with the illustrations," Lei said.

"Lingqu belongs to all of us."

By Alexis Hooi and Zhang Li