[Photo from guilin.com]

The Guilin Lingqu Canal Scenic Area is located in Xing’an County - “One of China’s top 10 charming ancient counties” and “the birthplace of Guilin rice noodle” - at the upper reaches of Lijiang River. It’s over 50 kilometers south of Guilin City. The 37.4-kilometer-long canal, built under the order of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (AD 479-502) in 214 BC as an effort to unify China, has a history of over 2000 years. It is now the best preserved ancient water conservation project and one of the oldest canals in the world.

[Photo from guilin.com]

As a national cultural relics protection site and a national-level AAAA scenic site, the Lingqu Canal Scenic Area comprises two parts: the core historical and cultural preservation area at the head of the canal and the Qin city cruise recreation area along the Water Street. The former consists of ploughshare mouths, large and small scale dams, a south channel, north channel, sluice scale, and ship lock.

The Qin city cruise recreation area along the Water Street refers to the section of the south channel of the Lingqu Canal in Xing’an County, with a total length of around one kilometer. The street came into being as residents moved to live along Lingqu Canal.

The street was built in accordance with the ancient Qin-Han (221BC-AD220) architecture style and embodies five cultural themes: ancient architecture, ancient bridge, stone carving, Lingqu Canal and Lingnan folk customs. The pavilions, houses, bridges, carvings and sculptures are a visual reminder of the past glory of the Lingqu Canal. The households and thriving businesses by the water show the mix of plain and Lingnan culture. The Water Street is a historical and cultural corridor conjoined with the no-less-charming Yangshuo West Street.