Xijin reservoir in Hengzhou on Aug. 30. The area marks the starting point of the 135-kilometer Pinglu Canal, which began construction on Aug. 28 in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

Two men take a swim in the river at the Jiangkou town, Hengzhou, on Aug. 29. With an estimated investment of over 70 billion ($10 billion) yuan, the canal is a major project of China’s new western land-sea corridor. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

The Qinjiang River runs through the Luwu town, Lingshan county, on Aug. 25. The Pinglu Canal will enter the Beibu Gulf via the Qinjiang River. The canal is being built for shipping and other functions, including water supply, irrigation and flood control. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

The site of construction in Lingshan county on Aug. 25. It is the first canal that China has built since 1949. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

Excavators work at the construction site in Lingshan county on Aug. 25. Construction will take an estimated 54 months to complete. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

A quiet street in Hengzhou on Aug. 30. The city was once a thriving hub in the 1990s when the river was the main mode of transport. With the development of land transportation, the city lost its economic importance. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

An old man carries a basket through Jiangkou street to take a ferry to the market on Aug. 30. Most young adults have left the area to venture elsewhere for work, leaving elderly residents behind. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

Local villagers in Jiangkou street play poker on the ferry to kill time while crossing the river on Aug. 30. Residents have to an hour’s ferry to get to the market from their homes. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

An elderly man plants corn on a small island in the middle of the Jiuzhou River in Luwu town, Lingshan county, on Aug. 26. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin

Residents of Shiqiao village, Lingshan county, stand in front of their homes to take a group photo on Aug. 25. More than 2,000 families, comprising 10,000 people, will move to make way for the construction of the canal. Photo: Liang Yingfei/Caixin