9月16日，平陆运河通航仪式在广西钦州举行。
On September 16, the navigation launch ceremony for the Pinglu Canal was held in Qinzhou, Guangxi.
当日上午10时25分，马道枢纽，随着首航船舶一声汽笛破空长鸣，全场热烈鼓掌，共同见证这一历史性时刻：通江达海的世纪巨龙——平陆运河正式通航。钦州港海天辽阔，马道枢纽巍然矗立，39.08米高的巨型“人”字闸门犹如钢铁巨人舒展双臂，打开向海图强的时代之门。
At 10:25 a.m. that day at the Madao Hub, the inaugural vessel let out a resonant whistle that echoed through the air and the enthusiastic applause of the crowd witnessing this historic moment. The Pinglu Canal, the century dragon connecting rivers to the sea, officially opened to navigation. At Qinzhou Port, where the horizon blends seamlessly with the vast expanse of sea and sky, the Madao Hub stands as a towering symbol of ambition and progress. Its giant 39.08-meter-tall inverted V-shaped lock gates, like a steel giant spreading its arms wide, open the gateway to an era of maritime strength and prosperity.
平陆运河始于广西南宁横州市平塘江口，经钦州灵山县陆屋镇沿钦江汇入北部湾，全长134.2公里，按内河Ⅰ级航道标准建设，可通航5000吨级船舶。
The Pinglu Canal begins at the Pingtang River Estuary in Hengzhou, Nanning, Guangxi. It passes through Luwu Town in Lingshan County, Qinzhou, and flows into the Beibu Gulf via the Qinjiang River. Spanning a total length of 134.2 kilometers, it is built to meet Grade I inland waterway standards, accommodating vessels of up to 5,000 tons.
自2022年8月28日开工建设以来，数百家参建单位和数万名建设者协同作战、日夜拼搏，高标准、高质量打造优质工程、绿色工程、廉洁工程，建成马道、企石、青年三个梯级枢纽以及航道工程、配套工程等。平陆运河创造了四项“世界之最”：世界同类运河通航能力最强、世界同类船闸通航速度最快、世界省水船闸落差最高、世界内河省水船闸规模最大。
Since its construction began on August 28, 2022, hundreds of participating units and tens of thousands of builders have worked tirelessly day and night to create a project that meets high standards and high quality, with a focus on excellence, sustainability, and integrity. The project encompasses the construction of the Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian cascaded hubs, along with navigation channels and supporting facilities. The Pinglu Canal has set four world records, namely the highest navigation capacity among similar canals worldwide, the fastest lock operation speed for ship locks of its kind, the highest water head of a water-saving ship lock globally, and the largest scale of water-saving ship locks on inland rivers worldwide.
通航当日，“南宁—越南芹苴”外贸航线、“南宁—海南洋浦”内贸航线双向启航，14艘满载白糖、建材、矿产、钢材等物资的货船顺利过闸、首航出海，16艘装载煤炭、铁矿、铝土矿、化肥、高钙石等货品的船舶有序驶入西江流域。马道、企石、青年三大枢纽高效联动、协同运转，船舶过闸调度规范有序、安全顺畅。
On the day of its launch, the “Nanning-Can Tho (Vietnam)” international trade route and the “Nanning-Yangpu (Hainan)” domestic trade route were officially opened in both directions. Fourteen cargo ships, fully loaded with sugar, building materials, minerals, steel, and other goods, successfully passed through the locks and embarked on their inaugural voyages. Meanwhile, sixteen ships carrying coal, iron ore, bauxite, fertilizers, high-calcium limestone, and other goods entered the Xijiang River Basin in an organized manner. The three major hubs, i.e., Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian, worked seamlessly in coordination, ensuring that ship lock scheduling was standardized, orderly, safe, and efficient.
与此同时，四条水上客运航线同步开通，包括新福水上综合服务区至马道枢纽环线、新福水上综合服务区至平塘江口环线、钦州水上综合服务区至青年枢纽环线、钦州水上综合服务区至龙门大桥环线。
Simultaneously, four water passenger transport routes were launched, namely the Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area to Madao Hub Loop Line, the Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area to Pingtang River Estuary Loop Line, the Qinzhou Water Comprehensive Service Area to Qingnian Hub Loop Line, and the Qinzhou Water Comprehensive Service Area to Longmen Bridge Loop Line.
平陆运河北接西江水系，南连北部湾，开辟了珠江—西江第二条入海航道，使中国西南地区在原有向东出海通道之外，增加一条向南直达北部湾的水运通道，缩短入海航程560公里以上，每年有望为沿线地区节约运费超50亿元。
The Pinglu Canal connects to the Xijiang River system in the north and extends to the Beibu Gulf in the south, establishing a second maritime route to the sea for the Pearl River-Xijiang River system. This new waterway provides southwestern China with a direct link to the Beibu Gulf, complementing the existing eastward sea route and shortening the journey to the sea by more than 560 kilometers. It is expected to save over 5 billion yuan in annual freight costs for the regions along the route.
通航仪式现场，有关专家高度评价，2000多年前，灵渠在广西开凿，沟通长江与珠江水系；今天，又在这里建成新运河，通江达海。平陆运河的建成通航，不仅将深刻改变广西发展格局，也将对我国西南、中南地区乃至全国开放发展产生重要影响，为中国—东盟交通物流和经贸合作注入新动力。
At the inauguration ceremony, experts highlighted the profound historical significance of the event. Over 2,000 years ago, the Lingqu Canal was constructed in Guangxi, linking the Yangtze River and Pearl River water systems. Today, a new canal has been completed in the same region, providing direct access to the rivers and seas. The completion and opening of the Pinglu Canal will not only reshape Guangxi’s development landscape but also play a pivotal role in advancing the openness and growth of southwestern and south-central China, as well as the entire nation. Furthermore, it will inject fresh momentum into China-ASEAN transportation, logistics, and economic and trade cooperation.