The Ling Canal is one of Guilin¡¯s hidden gems. The most unfortunate aspect about the Ling Canal is that it is situated about 70 klms north of Guilin City in an area that does not attract many foreign tourists because of its isolation from other tourist destinations. The other tourist attraction in this area is Merryland Theme Park and Golf Resort but by its nature it attracts a different kind of tourist.
The Canal is a wonderful example of the engineering and architectural skill that existed in Chinese society more that 2000 years ago. The Canal was built in the year 214BC by Qinshihuang, first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. The canal system connects two rivers, Guilin¡¯s Li River and the Xiang River but as these rivers are tributaries of the Pearl and Yangtze Rivers the connection linked two of the largest river systems in China thereby opening a huge area to allow travel and commerce to flourish. It was also an important political move as it unified north and south and allowed the Emperor to consolidate his power.
The complexity of the project is more easily understood when we see the difference in water levels between the two rivers which in some planes is around 6 meters. The project required a complex system of locks and dams to allow the two water systems to merge. At one point the two rivers are only separated by about 20 meters. It is fascinating to watch as the rivers flow in different directions.