Lingqu Canal (Ling Canal)

In 214 BC (the time when the construction of the Great Wall was begun),Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, ordered the excavation of the Lingqu canal. Thereafter, the obstructing Five Ridges gave way to this convenient waterway. Northern civilization came all the way down through the canal and then to the Li River to Guilin, creating a unique culture of Guilin in combination with the aboriginal culture.The building of the canal made Guilin become an important town, a connection between the southern-most part of China and the central area of the country in ancient times. Lingqu Canal is the oldest canal in the world and is one of the three ancient Chinese Grand Irrigation Works. It is the embodiment of the Chinese people.