Seven books from the "World Canals Series".

Experts from the Inland Waterways International (IWI) led by David Edwards-May, former IWI president, visited Phoenix Publishing and Media Group (PPMG) on Oct 17.

Sun Min, deputy general manager of PPMG, met with the foreign guests, engaging in a series of friendly exchanges.

At the World Canals Conference 2026 in Guilin, in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Edwards-May and other experts, in collaboration with Phoenix Science Press Ltd, a subsidiary of PPMG, and the UK-based Waterway Books, launched the first "World Canals Series" in English, encompassing seven publications. These books are available for global readers and conference attendees to preview.

The initiative aims to conduct international comparative research on canal culture and promote its global communication, advancing the culture of China's Grand Canal to reach out to a global audience while fostering intercultural exchanges and mutual learning.

During the visit, the three experts toured the exhibition room of Phoenix Science Press and engaged in in-depth discussions with the Phoenix Media team about the promotion and future development of the "World Canals Series".

They expressed their commitment to spreading the concept of "Reading Canals with the World" and "Canals Connecting the World", and to creating more accessible publications that tell the stories of canals.