Potential and Pathways of Canal Cultural Tourism in Ethnic Minority Areas: A Case Study of Pinglu Canal

Abstract

The Pinglu Canal, as a national century project, is profoundly reshaping the economic geography of Guangxi and the southwestern region. This critical north-south artery connects the Golden Waterway of the Xijiang River with the Beibu Gulf International Gateway Port. For the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which is geographically remote yet strategically positioned as a key gateway, the imminent completion of the Pinglu Canal heralds a historic turning point. Those intangible cultural heritages long preserved in rural areas, relying on local knowledge transmission and gradually fading from memory, are highly likely to gain unprecedented opportunities for large-scale access to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and even ASEAN markets. However, the physical construction of a site will not automatically enable the cultural symbols embodied in intangible cultural heritage to achieve immediate cross-regional dissemination or significant value enhancement. How to identify the canal-related cultural tourism potential in ethnic minority regions and how to construct the pathway from “resources” to “assets” have become urgent strategic questions requiring responses.