DATES TO BE CONFIRMED
Guilin and Xing’an (a county under Guilin’s jurisdiction) in Guangxi Autonomous Region, China, will host the WCC in October 2026. Here lies one of the oldest Chinese canals connecting the Yangtze and Pearl River basins: the Lingqu Canal. Xing’an is where water is diverted into the canal from the northward-flowing Xiang River. It is also home to the Lingqu Canal Museum. The conference will offer unique opportunities to cruise on the Lijiang River, south from Guilin, where the scenery is said to be ‘best under heaven’.
Canal and waterfront restoration in constrained urban environments will be a key theme. We will also explore how to integrate the development of ancient canals with modern waterways, including the Pinglu and Xianggui canals. China is working to build the Pinglu Canal, approximately 500 km away from the Lingqu Canal. With its completion, hinterland and sea are linked. The newly planned Xianggui Canal, situated about 60 km southeast of the Lingqu Canal, is set to reconnect the largest and busiest water systems in China – the Yangtze River and the Pearl River.