Ling Canal

Ling Canal, ancient canal in the northern part of the Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi, southeastern China. The Ling Canal was constructed to connect the headwaters of the Xiang River, flowing north into Hunan province, with the Li River, one of the headwater tributaries of the Gui River (itself a tributary of the Xi River) leading eventually to Guangzhou (Canton). Near the city of Xing’an in northern Guangxi, these two rivers are separated by a low divide broken by a saddle. A contour canal was built leading water diverted from the Xiang along some 5 km (3 miles) of gentle gradient into the Li. Below the point at which the water for the canal was diverted, another waterway, the Bei Canal, some 2.4 km (1.5 miles) long, diverted the waters of the Xiang itself to provide a better channel. The main section of the canal joining the two rivers was called the Nan Canal. The course of the Li, unsuited in its natural state for navigation, was canalized for some 27 km (17 miles) to its junction with the Gui.

This canal was first constructed about 215 bce to supply the armies of the Qin dynasty (221–207 bce) in their campaigns in present-day Guangdong province against the state of Nam Viet (Nan Yue), providing a water route from the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) and Changsha in Hunan to Guangzhou. It was kept in repair and used regularly during the Han period (206 bce–220 ce), at least from 140 bce to 50 ce. During that period the canal was the chief route from central to southern China. Later it was superseded as the major route by another canal passing through Jiangxi province, which was considerably shorter, although it involved a portage between the headwaters of the Gan River in Jiangxi and those of the Bei River system in Guangdong. Early in the 9th century the Ling Canal fell into disrepair and became impassable. In 825 the canal was rebuilt with a system of locks, and in the 11th or 12th century these were replaced by a series of 36 improved locks that made it possible for larger boats to pass through. The canal is still in use, although it can accommodate only relatively small craft.