Lingqu

The Lingqu is an ancient canal in Guangxi, China, completed in the third century BCE to connect the Xiang and Li river systems. Its channels and water-control works enabled transport between the Yangtze and Pearl River basins.

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Xiang River: A river in southern China that flows into the Yangtze River system. The Lingqu draws water from the Xiang to supply its northern channel.
Qin Shi Huang: The first emperor of a unified China, who ruled from 221 to 210 BCE. He ordered the Lingqu built during Qin campaigns in the south.
Grand Canal of China: A vast network of waterways linking northern and southern China, developed over many centuries. Unlike the Lingqu’s short watershed crossing, it formed a much larger north–south transport network.
Yangtze River: The longest river in Asia, flowing east across China to the East China Sea. Through the Xiang, the Lingqu linked the canal route to the Yangtze basin.
Xing'an County: A county in Guangxi, China, where the Lingqu is located. The canal’s principal surviving sections lie in Xing'an County.
Li River: A river in Guangxi, China, that flows south toward the Gui River. The Lingqu’s southern channel delivers water into the Li River system.
Qin dynasty: The Chinese dynasty that unified much of China from 221 to 206 BCE. The canal emerged from the Qin state’s drive to secure and govern the south.
Canal transport: The movement of people and goods by boats along artificial waterways. The Lingqu made overland and river transport between two basins more direct.
Pearl River: A major river system in southern China that drains into the South China Sea. The Li connects the Lingqu’s southern route toward the Pearl River system.
Lingqu Museum: A museum in Xing'an County devoted to the history and engineering of the Lingqu. Its exhibits document the canal’s construction, operation, and preservation.