Ling Qu (Ling Canal), also called Dou
River or Xing'an Canal, was an ancient canal that connected the Yangtze River
system and Pearl River system. Ling Qu, located in the current Xing'an County in
Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was the earliest canal with
sluice gate in the world.
The canal was dug in 219BC at the order of
Qin Shihuang (the First Emperor of China), to facilitate the transportation of
grain for the military after he sent his troops south to conquer the territory
south of the Meiling Mountain. It connected the Xiangjiang River and the Lijiang
River. Later, every dynasty revamped the canal, making it the major water course
that linked the Lingnan Region (current Guangdong Province and the Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region) and the central part of China.
After the People's Republic of China was
founded in 1949, the canal undertook extensive repairs, turning into an
important water resource for irrigation, drinking and industrial production, as
well as a scenic spot. Currently, it is an important cultural relic of the
country.