Pinglu Canal opens with wildlife bridge for safer animal crossings

The 134.2-km-long Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region officially opened to navigation on September 16, connecting the Xijiang River waterway with the Beibu Gulf.

Among the canal's 104 bridges is a special ecological overpass designed exclusively for wildlife, locally dubbed a "bridge of life." The 240-meter-long, 20-meter-wide bridge is not open to vehicles and has no asphalt pavement.

Instead, its deck is covered with 0.6 to 1.2 meters of planting soil and planted with native vegetation, including Chinese banyan and Quercus glauca, as well as fruit trees that provide food for wildlife.

Rock piles and water-collection pits have also been installed to recreate the natural conditions of the surrounding mountain forests, providing shade, food and hiding places for animals such as spotted linsangs, Asian leopard cats and red-bellied tree squirrels.

The ecological overpass is designed to provide a safe and natural passage for wildlife, helping maintain ecological connectivity along the canal.

Along the Pinglu Canal, 36 ecological conservation zones have also been established.

Measures tailored to local conditions include installing artificial fish nests, erecting perches for birds and restoring wetlands, providing habitats and refuge for wildlife.

Pinglu Canal is China's first major nationally planned river-to-sea canal project since 1949, it can accommodate vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes.

The canal is expected to shorten shipping between China's southwestern hinterland and ASEAN by 560 km and cut logistics costs by 18-30%.