From November 15th to 16th, the 4th International Symposium on Water Culture was held in Xing'an County, Guilin City. Scholars and experts from China and other countries, including the United States, Italy, and Greece, gathered here to deeply discuss the protection and modern value inheritance of canals. On the 16th, they visited the "Pearl of Ancient World Hydraulic Engineering" - the Ling Canal. According to reports, the Ling Canal, which dates back more than 2,200 years, is the oldest and most complete artificial canal in the world today. It was inscribed on the World Irrigation Heritage List in 2018. Guilin City and the Ling Canal Museum have won the hosting rights for the 2026 World Canal Conference.

Guilin, Guangxi - (Reporter Fu Qinglong, Guangxi Daily, Guangxi News Network) On October 26, the hosting rights ceremony for the 2026 World Canals Conference was held in Guilin. Rudy Van der Ween, President of the Inland Waterways International (IWI), announced that IWI has officially approved and granted Guilin City and the Lingqu Canal Museum the hosting rights for the 2026 World Canals Conference.

Xing'an, People's Daily Online, July 21st - On July 20th, the 2023 World Canal Conference Seminar was held in Xing'an County, Guilin City. Scholars and experts gathered by the beautiful Ling Canal to discuss the protection and inheritance of canal culture, helping to build Guilin into a world-class tourist city.

On April 25, 2021, while inspecting and researching in Guangxi, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Yangdi Pier in Yangshuo County, Guilin City, where he listened to reports on comprehensive management and ecological protection of the Lijiang River Basin. He emphasized, "This treasure is unique in both China and the world; we must never destroy it." On April 26, General Secretary Xi visited Elephant Trunk Hill Park in Guilin City for inspection and research, where he pointed out, "Guilin's landscapes are the finest under heaven, endowed with natural beauty and green mountains and clear waters. This precious land bestowed by nature upon the Chinese nation must be carefully protected."