Ancient canal returns to life, benefiting residents

Lingqu Canal, the world's oldest man-made navigable canal with a history of over 2,000 years, is returning to full vitality in time for a boom in tourism and modern agriculture.

The water conservation project, in Xing'an county, 70 kilometers from Guilin, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, had strategic military importance in ancient China and was ordered built by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) to help unite the country.

"The canal supports residents' spirits, and is also a symbol of the county that attracts tourists," said Huang Hongbin, Party secretary of Xing'an.