The Pinglu Canal, China's first artificial waterway connecting inland rivers to the sea, is expected to slash the transport distance between the country's southwestern regions and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states by 560 kilometers, a Chinese official said Tuesday.
The 134.2-km canal is a key project in China's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a freight network aimed at improving links between the country's western regions and overseas markets. The project is expected to give cargo from southwest China a shorter route to Beibu Gulf ports, as it is designed to connect the Xijiang River system with the Beibu Gulf through the Qinjiang River.
"Once the Pinglu Canal is open to navigation, the transport distance between China's southwestern hinterland and ASEAN countries will be shortened by 560 kilometers, and logistics costs will be reduced by 18 to 30 percent," said Lu Xinning, vice governor of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
"In terms of navigation grade, the Pinglu Canal is the highest-standard river-sea connecting waterway in China and even the world, and it will reshape the economic and geographic landscape between China and ASEAN. Once open to navigation, it will add a new two-way corridor for goods between the two major markets. Factors such as capital, technology, talent, and labor between southwest China and ASEAN countries will also be further pooled, giving rise to new cross-border investment and industrial cooperation projects," she said.
Pinglu Canal to cut southwest China-ASEAN shipping distance by 560 km: official
An age-old feather duster craft in north China's Hebei Province has found new life online, as livestreaming turns a village tradition into a source of income for elderly residents. In Luan'nan County, Tangshan City, Liu Wenhao, Party secretary of Zhangmawan Village, is promoting the village's handmade feather dusters alongside fellow villagers in livestreams. Since 2024, he has led villagers in bringing the traditional craft online, quickly turning it into an internet sensation.
Elderly villagers now craft dusters while also serving as online hosts, participating in livestreams and welcoming tourists. Liu Huiying is one of them.
"This is no small income. I earn about 20,000 yuan (about 2,981 U.S. dollars) a year, which is more than enough. They call me an internet celebrity. I'm happy," she said.
The feather duster craft has a long history in Zhangmawan. Once a sideline for villagers during the agricultural off-season, craftsmen worked from dawn to dusk only to sell a single duster for 0.3 to 0.5 yuan. Sales were slightly better at rural fairs, but earnings were barely enough to make a living. As modern cleaning products diversified, traditional feather dusters gradually faded from daily life.
In recent years, with the rise of short-video platforms, several young people in the village began experimenting with short videos. Their first video showing the making of a feather duster garnered more than 600,000 views.
"Our village's traditional craft was well-known throughout the region. So we thought, with so many people here skilled at making feather dusters, why not sell them online and help boost their incomes?" said Liu.
Zhangmawan has more than 200 residents over the age of 60. To boost their incomes and pass on the craft, product transformation was key. Young villagers pooled their ideas and decided to enter the cultural and creative market.
While veteran artisans persisted in handmade production, younger people focused on innovative designs, launching new items such as car hangings, bag charms, desktop ornaments and cat teasers, tailored to modern aesthetics and lifestyles.
Online popularity has also boosted offline tourism. The village has leveraged its advantages to offer craft workshops, rural sightseeing, farm meals and educational study tours, attracting a large number of visitors and children.
"You can hang it on a schoolbag or car keys -- it can go in many places. And if something gets dirty, you can use it to sweep," said Meng Shixuan, a young visitor.
"We want to keep updating our cultural and creative feather duster products, and through short videos and livestreaming, develop the village's study tour and sightseeing businesses to provide more jobs and income opportunities," Liu said.
Chinese village turns traditional feather duster craft into online hit
