Episode Details

The Ping lu Canal, a major waterway linking inland areas of Southwest China with the sea, officially opened to navigation on Wednesday in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
平陆运河，作为连通中国西南内陆与海洋的重大水运通道，今天在华南广西壮族自治区正式通航。

Spanning 134.2 kilometers, the canal connects the Xijiang River system, a significant inland shipping artery in southern China, with the Beibu Gulf, providing inland areas of Southwest China with more direct access to the sea.
运河全长 134.2 公里，连通中国南方重要内河航运干线西江水系与北部湾，为中国西南内陆地区打通更为直接的出海通道。

This canal is China's first nationally planned canal since 1949, designed to grant inland waterways direct access to the sea.
这是 1949 年以来中国首条国家规划运河，旨在实现内河航道直接通海。

Construction began on Aug 28, 2022, with a total investment of approximately 72.7 billion yuan ($10.83 billion). The canal is designed to accommodate vessels of up to 5,000 metric tons.
工程于 2022 年 8 月 28 日开工，总投资约 727 亿元人民币（折合 108.3 亿美元）。运河可通行 5000 吨级船舶。

As a key component of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the canal offers a shorter water route from parts of Southwest China to the coast. For some cargo, it will reduce the inland shipping distance to the sea by more than 560 kilometers.
作为西部陆海新通道的关键组成部分，这条运河为中国西南部分地区提供更短的出海水运线路。部分货物的内河出海航程可缩短 560 公里以上。

The new route also provides western China with more direct access to ports on the Beibu Gulf, strengthening transport links between inland areas and overseas markets.
这条新通道也让中国西部可以更便捷通达北部湾港口，强化内陆地区与海外市场的运输联系。

canal /kəˈnæl/ 运河
navigation /ˌnævɪˈɡeɪʃn/ 通航；航行
inland /ˈɪnlænd/ 内陆的
vessel /ˈvesl/ 船舶