1998-27, Ling Canal《灵渠》

Ling Canal
Scott No: 2922, 2923, 2924
Serial number: 1998-27
Values in set: 3
(3-1), Huazui and Tianping, 50 fen, 50*30mm
(3-2), Qin Di, 50 fen, 30*50mm
(3-3), Dou Men, 150 fen, 30*50mm
Date of issue: December 1, 1998
Designers: Liu Shaohui
Size:
50*30mm for Value 1
30*50mm for Value 2,3
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 40
Printing process: offset
Printing house: Liaoning shenyang postage stamps printing works

Ling Canal, in Xing’an County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is also called Xianggui Canal and Xing’an Canal, this is one of the famous ancient water conservancy projects in China. The canal, 34 kilometres long, was built under the orders of Emperor Qinshihuang who was to unite Guangdong and Guangxi areas. The canal, which connects Xiangjiang and Lijiang rivers and two water systems of Yangtze River and the Pearl River, is a waterway crossing the Five-Ridge Mountains. It is not only an ancient canal, but also an important farmland irrigation tributary. The most famous facility of Ling canal is the huazui water diversion project on Xiangjiang River, which diverts the water of Xiangjiang River into Lijiang and Xiangjiang rivers in the proportion of 3:7. The canal’s steep gate, which was the original form of the present ship lock, is one of the world’s earliest shipping facility on the canal.

It has been over 2,200 years since the canal was built. Ling Canal has been an important waterway for China’s north-south communication. It undertook the heavy task of transporting military supplies and grain for civilian between central China to southern frontiers. The canal has played an important role in uniting the nationalities of China and promoting economic and cultural exchanges. Nowadays, the canal, hit by numerous floods, is still irrigating the farmland in the area.

1998年特种邮票《灵渠》
国家邮政局1998年12月1日发行《灵渠》特种邮票1套3枚。
（3-1）T 铧嘴及天平 50 分 4199.9万枚
（3-2）T 秦堤 50 分 4079.9万枚
（3-3）T 陡门 150 分 3059.万枚

志号名称：1998-27T
版别：胶印
整版枚数：40 枚
全套面值：2.50元
邮票规格：50×30毫米
齿孔度数：12度
设计者：刘绍基
印制机构：辽宁省沈阳邮电印刷厂

灵渠: 位于桂林东北60公里处兴安县境内，是现存世界上最完整的古代水利工程，与四川都江堰、陕西郑国渠齐名,并称为“秦的三大水利工程”。郭沫若先生称为：“与长城南北相呼应，同为世界之奇观。”

灵渠全长37公里，建成于秦始皇33年(公元前214年)。由铧嘴、大小天平、南渠，北渠泄水天平和陡门组成。灵渠设计科学，建造精巧。铧嘴将湘江水三七分流，其中三分水向南流入漓江，七分水向北汇入湘江，沟通了长江、珠江两大水系。

公元前221年，秦始皇统一北方六国之后，又与公元前211年对浙江、福建、广东、广西地区的百越发动了大规模的军事征服活动。秦军在战场上节节胜利，惟独在两广地区苦战三年，毫无建树，原来是因为广西的地形地貌导致运输补给供应不上。所以改善和保证交通补给成了这场战争的成败关键。秦始皇运筹帷幄，命令史禄劈山凿渠。史禄通过精确计算终于在兴安开凿了灵渠，奇迹般的把长江水系和珠江水系连接了起来，使援兵和补给源源不断的运往前线，推动了战事的发展，最终把岭南的广大地区正式地划入了中原王朝的版图，为秦始皇统一中国起了重要的作用。

灵渠两岸网景优美，文物古迹众多，如状元桥、陡门、四贤祠、飞来石、铧嘴、大小天平、泄水天平和秦文化广场等景点，景区内还建有二战美国飞虎队遗迹纪念馆，现已成为桂林的旅游胜地。