Yellow River - Mother River of China with Length and History Info Yellow River Home / Yellow River / Yellow River Yellow River Known as the mother river by all the Chinese people, the 5,464-kilometer (about 3,395 miles) Yellow River is the second longest in China after the Yangtze River . The headwaters of this mighty river lie in Kunlun Mountains in northwestern Qinghai Province. It runs through nine provinces and autonomous regions on its way to the Bohai Sea. It is not exaggerating to say that this river is a melting port, because there are more than 30 branches and countless streams feeding it through its course. The vigorous upper reaches of the river starts in Qinghai Province to Hekouzhen in Inner Mongolia. This magnificent river flows quietly, like a shy girl in this section, irrigating the farmlands and nurturing the people. Its middle reaches ends at Taohuayu in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. Here the river splits the Loess Plateau in half, forming the longest continuous gorge in the whole drainage area of the river. The lower reaches ends in a delta on the Bohai Sea.

It is agreed upon by almost all the Chinese people that the Yellow River is the cradle of Chinese civilization, the spiritual home of the Chinese people. It is the waters of the river and its spirit that nurture the whole Chinese nation. For thousands of years, this river has been admiring by literary giants, artists, as well as by the common people. The Yellow River is not just several letters, nor is it just the name of a yellow-ochre-colored river. It bears special significance: the symbol of the Chinese nation, the spirit of the Chinese people and more importantly, civilization itself. Neolithic (7,000 BC-3,700 BC), Bronze (3,700 BC-2,700 BC) and Iron Age Sites (770 BC), and so on can be found in the Yellow River's drainage basin, which had been the center of ancient Chinese culture since the Azilian (Middle Stone Age). Here, the story of three cultural heroes: Suiren-shi who taught the Chinese to make fire by drilling wood, Fu Hsi who was the inventor of hunting, trapping and fishing and Shennong-shi who invented agriculture, was spread.

It was these three legendary individuals that began the development of civilization in the Yellow River basin. After that, many ancient Chinese emperors, like Emperor Qin Shi Huang , Genghis khan (1162-1227, grandfather of Kublai Khan who is the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)) pushed the Yellow River civilization to a wholly new level of refinement, grace and spirituality which drew the attention of the whole world. Rich cultural relics, history and gorgeous natural sceneries make the Yellow River a fine place to visit. Along the river, there are dozens of worthwhile attractions. They are stretching arms and waiting for your visiting! Role of the Yellow River in China's History Question: What Role Has the Yellow River Played in China's History? Answer: Many of the world's great civilizations have grown up around mighty rivers - Egypt on the Nile, the Mound-builder civilization on the Mississippi, the Indus River Civilization in what is now Pakistan , and more. China has had the good fortune to have two great rivers: the Yangtze, and the Yellow River or Huang He.

The Yellow River is also known as the "cradle of Chinese civilization" or the "Mother River." Usually a source of rich fertile soil and irrigation water, the Yellow River has transformed itself more than 1,500 times in recorded history into a raging torrent that swept away entire villages. As a result, the river has several less-positive nicknames as well, such as "China's Sorrow" and "Scourge of the Han People." Over the centuries, the Chinese people have used it not only for agriculture, but also as a transportation route and even as a weapon. The Yellow River springs up in the Bayan Har Mountain Range of west-central China's Qinghai Province, and makes its way through nine provinces, before it pours its silt out into the Yellow Sea off the coast of Shandong Province. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World It is the world's sixth-longest river, at a length of about 5,464 kilometers (3,395 miles). The river runs across central China's loess plains, picking up an immense load of silt, which colors the water and gives the river its name.

The Yellow River in Ancient China: The recorded history of Chinese civilization began on the banks of the Yellow River with the Xia Dynasty (c. 2100 to c. 1600 BCE). According to Sima Qian's "Records of the Grand Historian" and the "Classic of Rites," a number of different tribes originally united into the Xia Kingdom in order to find a solution to devastating floods on the river. When a series of breakwaters failed to stop the flooding, the Xia instead dug a series of canals to channel excess water out into the countryside and then down to sea. Unified behind strong leaders, and able to produce bountiful harvests since Yellow River floods no longer destroyed their crops so often, the Xia Kingdom ruled central China for several centuries. The Shang Dynasty succeeded the Xia around 1600 BCE, lasting until 1046 BCE, and also centered itself on the Yellow River valley. Fed by the riches of the fertile river-bottom land, the Shang developed an elaborate culture featuring powerful emperors, divination using oracle bones , and artwork such as beautiful jade carvings .

During China's Spring and Autumn Period (771 - 478 BCE), the great philosopher Confucius was born in the village of Tsou on the Yellow River in Shandong. He would have almost as powerful an influence on Chinese culture as the river itself. When that era came to an end, the country plunged into the Warring States Period (256 - 221 BCE). One favorite tactic of the various warring states was to send saboteurs to break Yellow River dams or divert canals on neighboring kingdoms' domains, causing flooding and misery. This is the first, but by no means the last, recorded instance of people using the river as a weapon. In 221 BCE, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi conquered the other warring states and established the unified Qin Dynasty. The Qin kings relied on the Cheng-Kuo Canal, finished in 246 BCE to provide irrigation water and increased crop yields, leading to a growing population and the man-power to defeat rival kingdoms. However, the Yellow River's silt-laden water quickly clogged the canal. After Qin Shi Huangdi's death in 210 BCE, the Cheng-Kuo silted up entirely and became useless.

The Yellow River played an enormous role in dooming the short-lived Xin Dynasty (9 - 23 CE), which Wang Mang established during a lull in the Han Dynasty . In the year 11 CE, enormous floods broke out over the land as the silted-up river broke its banks and jumped into two new courses. Thousands of peasants drowned, and thousands more lost their farms and joined wandering rebel bands. In 23 CE, the rebels broke into Wang Mang's palace and killed the first, and last, emperor of the Xin Dynasty. Two years later, the Han Dynasty was restored, and lasted until 220 CE. The Yellow River in the Medieval Period: In 923 CE, China was embroiled in the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Among those kingdoms were the Later Liang and the Later Tang . As Tang armies approached the Liang capital, a general named Tuan Ning decided to breach the Yellow River dikes and flood 2,600 square kilometers (1,000 square miles) of the Liang Kingdom in a desperate effort to stave off the Tang.

Tuan's gambit did not succeed; despite the raging flood-waters, the Tang conquered the Liang. Over the following centuries, the Yellow River silted up and changed its course several times, suddenly breaking its banks and drowning surrounding farms and villages. Major re-routings took place in 1034, when the river split into three parts, 1048, and 1194. The river jumped south in 1344 during the waning days of the Yuan Dynasty. The last Mongol emperor, Togon-Temur (Emperor Huizong) was already unpopular, and he conscripted hundreds of thousands of Chinese peasants to toil at reinforcing the river's banks so that it would stay in its course. The working conditions were brutal, and many of the conscripts joined peasant uprisings that would eventually bring down the Yuan and usher in the Ming Dynasty in 1368. In 1642, another attempt to use the river against an enemy backfired badly. Kaifeng city had been under siege by Li Zicheng's peasant rebel army for six months.

The city's governor decided to break the dikes in hopes of washing away the besieging army. Instead, the river engulfed the city, killing almost 300,000 of Kaifeng's 378,000 citizens outright, and leaving the survivors vulnerable to famine and disease. The city was abandoned for years following this devastating mistake. The Ming Dynasty itself fell to Manchu invaders, who founded the Qing Dynasty , just two years later. The Yellow River in Modern China: A northward course-change in the river in the early 1850s helped fuel the Taiping Rebellion , one of China's deadliest peasant revolts. As populations grew ever larger along the treacherous river's banks, so too did the death tolls from flooding. In 1887, a major Yellow River flood killed an estimated 900,000 to 2 million people, making it the third worst natural disaster in history. This disaster helped convince the Chinese people that the Qing Dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven .

After the Qing fell in 1911, however, and China plunged into chaos with the Chinese Civil War and the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Yellow River struck again, even harder. The 1931 Yellow River flood killed between 3.7 million and 4 million people, making it the deadliest flood in all of human history. In the aftermath, with war raging and the crops destroyed, survivors reportedly sold their children into prostitution and even resorted to cannibalism to survive. Memories of this catastrophe would later inspire Mao Zedong's government to invest in massive flood-control projects, such as the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River. General Chiang Kai-Shek and his advisers obviously had not studied history carefully enough, because on June 9, 1938, they decided to use the Yellow River against the advancing Japanese Imperial Army in Henan Province. The Japanese were intent on capturing the city of Wuhan, temporary capital of China's Nationalist government.

The Nationalist troops broke the levees and flooded some 54,000 square kilometers (20,800 square miles) of the countryside, killing an estimated 500,000 to 900,000 innocent Chinese, and an unspecified number of Japanese. Some 12 million Chinese were left homeless. This man-made disaster, however, did not save Wuhan; after a four-month-long battle, it fell to Japan on October 27, 1938. Another flood in 1943 washed away the crops in Henan Province, leaving 3 million people to starve to death. When the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949, it began to build new dikes and levees to hold the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers back. Since that time, floods along the Yellow River still pose a threat, but the no longer kill millions of villagers or bring down governments. Conclusion: The Yellow River is the surging heart of Chinese civilization. Its waters and the rich soil it carries bring agricultural abundance to support China's enormous population. However, this "Mother River" has always had a dark side, as well.

When the rains are heavy, or silt blocks up the river channel, she has the power to jump her banks and spread death and destruction across central China. The Yellow River — Grand Ancient Culture and Silty Wonders Learn more on Yellow River Facts . Where the Name "Yellow River" Came From The name "Yellow River" comes from the huge amounts of "yellow" loess sediment it carries when flowing through the Loess Plateau. It is the world's major river with the most excessive siltation. Yellow River Geography The Yellow River is 5,464 kilometers (3,398 miles) long, stretching west–east 1900 km (1,180 miles), and meandering north–south 1,100 km (684 miles). The first bend of the Yellow River in the upper reaches Its basin area is 752,443 km2 (290,520 mi2), containing about 200,000 km2 (77,000 mi2) of arable land and over 100 million people. The average flow rate of the Yellow River is 1,800 cubic meters per second.

Its biggest tributary is the Wei River which flows past Xi'an. The upper reaches, about 3,500 km (2,000 mi), includes the upland swamps and pastures of the Tibetan Plateau and gorges in foothill country to the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia. The middle reaches, about 1,200 km (700 mi) from Hekou Town to Zhengzhou, occupies plain and hills in China's Loess Plateau region, where huge amounts of sediment are suspended. The lower reaches, from Zhengzhou to the Bo Sea, is about 800 km (500 mi). Due to sediment accumulation, the riverbed is several meters above the cities and farmlands, forming the world-famous "above ground river". Learn more about Yellow River Geography . Yellow River Civilization — China's Cradle A display at Xi'an's Banpo Civilization Site, an early Yellow River civilization. Almost all Chinese agree that the Yellow River Basin was the cradle of Chinese Civilization. A great amount of archeological information proves that the Yellow River was the most prosperous region in early Chinese history (2100–1046 BC).

The Yellow River is not just a river of China, but also the symbol of the Chinese spirit: bearing burdens (its sedimentation), adaptation (its course changes), and perseverance (its continual flow). For thousands of years, the Yellow River has been admired by great poets, artists, and common people. Many poems and songs sing the spirit of Yellow River and Chinese people, including Defend the Yellow River (保卫黄河), and Ode to The Yellow River (黄河颂). Learn more on Yellow River Civilization . What to See Along the Yellow River The Yellow River’s Hukou Waterfall — the world's largest "yellow" waterfall Along the Yellow River, there are numerous historic and ancient attractions, and stunning scenery. Top attractions of the Yellow River include forest parks, deserts, grasslands, the Loess Plateau, ancient capitals, and a "chocolate" waterfall. Hukou Waterfall is the classic Yellow River attraction. Read more on Yellow River Attractions . The Importance of the Yellow River The Yellow River is the most important water resource for the dry north of China, playing an irreplaceable role in economic development, and agriculture.

Since 1960 over 14 dams have been constructed on the river for hydroelectric power, which is vital to northern China's infrastructure. China's Sorrow The Yellow River is also called "China's Sorrow". Each year, over 1.6 billion tons of soil flows into the Yellow River, which causes the continual rise and shift of the riverbed. Before damming, it was extremely prone to flooding, and had caused millions of deaths, including the deadliest disaster in human history. Between 608 BC and 1938 AD, the Yellow River changed course 26 times, and flooded over 1,500 times. New Yellow River Troubles The Yellow River Has Dried Up Annually Since 1972 With global warming, decrease in rainfall in the Yellow River Basin, and increasing water demands for irrigation, industry, etc., the Yellow River has been used up by its lower reaches since 1972, when it ran dry for the first time in recorded history. The longest dry period lasted 226 days in 1997. Drought in the Yellow River region has brought serious challenges to agricultural development and the cities near the Yellow River.

River Pollution Increasing What's worse, the river has been abused. It has become so polluted in some reaches that it is unfit for agricultural and industrial use, because of the huge increase in factory and sewage discharges from China's fast-expanding cities. The government is taking measures to deal with Yellow River pollution, such as setting limits on the volume of major pollutants discharged into rivers and lakes, and controlling overuse of water resources. Visit Tourist Cities on the Yellow River with China Highlights The Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang Along the Yellow River, there are many worthwhile attractions and many tourist cities, such as Lanzhou, Zhongwei, Yinchuan, Baotou, Yan'an, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, and Kaifeng. If you want to visit any cities or any attractions near the Yellow River, China Highlights can assist you. Contact us and we can tailor-make a tour with the Yellow River and any other places you are interested in. Yellow River - definition of Yellow River by The Free Dictionary Yellow River - definition of Yellow River by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia .

Yellow River A river of northern China rising in the Kunlun Mountains and flowing about 5,400 km (3,350 mi) generally eastward to the Bohai Sea. It is named for the vast quantities of yellow silt it carries to its delta. The river is sometimes called "China's Sorrow" because of the devastating floods that once occurred regularly in its lower course. Yellow River is the translation of Huang He, its Chinese name. Yellow River n (Placename) the second longest river in China, rising in SE Qinghai and flowing east, south, and east again to the Gulf of Bohai south of Tianjin; it has changed its course several times in recorded history. Length: about 4350 km (2700 miles). Chinese name: Hwang Ho Huang He Ancient Yellow River Civilization, Culture Home / Yellow River / Civilization Yellow River Civilization The great amount of archeological information available about ancient Chinese civilization tells us that their ways of life were greatly influenced by the Yellow and Yangtze River civilizations. The Yellow River, in particular, was essential to the development of Chinese civilization.

In Chinese history, and in the history of human civilization, the Yellow River is not simply a set of characters on a page and the name of a river. In fact, it stands for a kind of culture and civilization. Undoubtedly, the Yellow River civilization has played a very great role in the development of civilization across the globe. For thousands of years, the river has been known as the mother river of the Chinese nation, both in the writings of the poets and scribes, and in the hearts of the Chinese people. Almost all the Chinese see themselves as the children of Yellow River. It is said that Egypt is the gift vouchsafed by the Nile. If there were no Nile, then it is hard to see how there could be an Egyptian civilization. The Yellow River has the same relationship with China. If China had no Yellow River, the Chinese wouldn't have a place to focus their spiritual energies on. Yellow River drainage basin is the birthplace of Chinese nation and meanwhile it is the cradle of Chinese civilization. In this vast cradle, Yellow River civilization, which is the principal part of the whole Chinese civilization and plays a crucial role in the history of civilization development, grew with vitality.

It had stood the test of almost all kinds of upheavals and difficulties, and finally created the continuous Chinese civilization. From the Xia (21st-16th century BC) and Shang (16th-11th century BC) Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Yellow River area was always the center of politics, economy and culture. In addition, in terms of science and technology, this area is in the leading position at all times. There are many ingredients of Yellow River civilization, such as potteries, silks, bronze, characters, and so on. Commonly, it came into being between the year 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, which covered over 2,000 years long. During this period of time, a group of regional civilizations were booming. But unfortunately in later time, some of them intermitted; some went to the low tide. Only Yellow River civilization assimilated the essences of other regional civilization and developed itself into a higher level. The phase of the development of Yellow River civilization was also a period for its sublimation.

And the epoch of the prosperity of this civilization was the historical moment when China stepped into the feudal empire civilization. The overwhelming Yellow River is the symbol of Chinese nation. From the towering Kunlun Mountain to the immense Pacific Ocean, it passes through the grasslands, getting over the deserts, splitting the Loess Plateau and moistening the land. It is this melting pot of hundreds of rivers that gestates brilliant Chinese culture, cleansing the capacious bosoms of the Chinese people and nurturing the largest nation in the world---the Chinese nation. And again, to some extent, this river is also the symbol of the spirit of the Chinese people: grittiness, industriousness and assiduity. It is a bridge connecting the whole land of China, linking the Chinese history and joining all the Chinese people all over the world with their motherland: China. Yellow River (Huang He) | WWF Yellow River (Huang He) The Yellow River runs through Lanzhou the capital of Gansu province, China.

Creative Commons licence © Colegota / Wikipedia The cradle of Chinese civilization The Yellow River, sometimes simply called "the River" in ancient Chinese, is the 2nd longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the 7th longest in the world, at 5,463km. Originating in the Bayankala Mountains in Qinghai province in western China, it flows through 9 provinces of China and empties into the Bohai Sea. It is called the Yellow River because huge amounts of loess sediment turn the water that colour. So much of this mineral-rich soil ends up in the Yellow River that it can fill the riverbed and thus change the river’s course. The Yellow River is known as the "Mother River of China" and "the Cradle of Chinese Civilization" in China, as its basin is the birthplace of the northern Chinese civilizations and the most prosperous region in early Chinese history. But frequent devastating floods, largely due to the elevated river bed in its lower course, have also earned it the distinction "China's Sorrow". Current threats The Yellow River is indicative of the problems affecting many of China's rivers.

Pollution, hydropower, and intensive water extraction for human consumption, agriculture, and industrial use are all taking their toll on the river. The Chinese government estimates that around two-thirds of the Yellow River's water is too polluted to drink and according to the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, a Beijing-based NGO, 4.3 billion tonnes of waste flowed into the Yellow River in 2005. Around 30% of fish species in the river are believed to have become extinct and the river's fish catch declined by 40%. The river is extremely prone to flooding and accounts for some of the deadliest disasters in human history. In 1931 an estimated 1 million died in a massive flood. A key reason for the severity of the floods is deforestation up river and the embankment of tributaries for irrigation. These practices date back thousands of years. Yellow River (Huang He) watershed. China. © Revenga, C., S. Murray, J. Abramovitz, and A. Hammond, 1998. Watersheds of the World: Ecological Value and Vulnerability. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute.

Countries Top 10 Rivers in China & Maps of Rivers in China Home » Top 10s in China » Top 10 Rivers in China Maps of rivers in China- Top 10 Rivers With more than 50,000 rivers, China abounds in rivers. Almost all large rivers in China belong to the exterior river system, which directly or indirectly emptying into the seas. Because China's terrain is high in the west and low in the east, most of its rivers flow east and empty into the Pacific Ocean, including the Yangtze , Yellow, Heilong, Pearl, Liaohe and Haihe rivers. The Biggest River in China: Yangtze River - 6,300km (3,915 miles) Yellow River - 5,464km (3,395 miles) Heilongjiang River - 4,370km (2,715 miles) Songhuajiang River - 1,927km (1,197 miles) Zhujiang River - 2,200km (1,367 miles) ... 1.

Yangtze River (Changjiang, 长江) Any China tour cannot be complete without a Yangtze River cruise , which is a vacation within your fast-paced China land trip. The Yangtze River is the longest river in China, the third longest in the world. It originates from the snow-capped Geladandong—the main peak of Tanggula Mountains of the Qinghai and Tibet plateau, flows through Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan , Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu, and finally enters into the East China Sea in Shanghai. The 6300-kilometer-long Yangtze River has eight major tributaries and a catchment area of 1.8 million square kilometers, which equivalent to 1/5 of the total land of China. Yangtze River Cruise has become a must-do activity when visitors visit China. The Yangtze River winds its way through high mountains and deep valleys with many tributaries. The cruise always includes a variety of exciting shore excursions to local riverside villages and historic sites. The highlights of the Yangtze River are the magnificent Three Gorges and the famous Three Gorges Dam .

2. Yellow River (Huanghe, 黄河) The Yellow River, with a total length of 5,464 kilometers, is the second longest river in China. The Yellow River is the birthplace of ancient Chinese culture and the cradle of Chinese Civilization. It is originated from the Bayanhar Mountain Range in Qinghai Province, meandering across 9 provinces and finally emptying into the Bohai Sea at Kenli of Shandong Province. The unique scenery of the Loess Plateau is extremely attractive. Along the Yellow River, tourists can not only fully enjoy the breathtaking natural scenery of the Yellow River, but also explore the Chinese history and culture. The multiplying and growing sites of Chinese ancients can be found along the Yellow River, showing the rise and decline of China's history. 3. Heilongjiang River (Heilongjiang, 黑龙江) The Heilongjiang River (also called Amur), the Sino-Russian boundary river, runs eastwardly across the northern part of north China and finally empties into the Sea of Okhotsk. Its entire length is 4,370 kilometers, the 11th largest river in the world.

Wherever the Heilongjiang River flows across, the forests are luxuriant and the aquatic grasses are verdant. The river is in the shape of a black dragon and the name of the Heilongjiang River was thus formed. 4. Songhuajiang River (Songhuajiang, 松花江) The Songhuajiang River (also known as the Sungari River in English) is a river in Northeast China, and it is the largest tributary of the Heilongjiang River, flowing about 1,927 km from Changbai Mountains through the Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. In winter, the beautiful rime along the banks of the Songhuajiang River is the unique feature of the river. Experiencing the white fairytale land in winter is amazing. 5. Zhujiang River (the Pearl River, 珠江) The Zhujiang (the Pearl River) is the third longest river in China (2,200 km, after the Yangtze River and the Yellow River), and second largest by volume (after the Yangtze). It is the largest river in south China, flowing into the South China Sea between Hong Kong and Macau.

Its lower reach forms the Pearl River Delta. The Pearl River is formed by convergence of three rivers---the Xijiang, Beijiang and Dongjaing. The river flows through the majority of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou Provinces, and parts of Hunan and Jiangxi, forming the 409,480 km² Pearl River Basin, which has a network of rivers, fertile soil, abundant natural resources and a sense population. 6. Brahmaputra River (Yaluzangbujiang, 雅鲁藏布江) The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. From its headsprings in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the Brahmaputra River flows first east and then south into the Indian Ocean. About 1,800 miles (2,900 km) long, the Brahmaputra boasts the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon, the largest canyon in the world, 504.6 km long and 6,009 m deep. The river is an important source for irrigation and transportation. 7.

Lancang River(Lancang Jiang, 澜沧江) The Lancang River, also known as the Mekong River, is the longest river in the Southeast Asia, with a total length of 2,354 kilometers. It takes its source from the Tanggula Mountain Range in Qinghai Province, China. The Lancang River runs south until it leaves China at the Nanla Bayout of Yunnan Province and there from changes its name from the Lancang River to the Mekong River. The river finally empties into the Pacific Ocean in the south of Vietnam. The Lancang River is China's main artery of water carriage connecting Southeast Asian countries, and it is reputed as the "Danube of the East". The Lancang River is a fantastic river with more than ten ethnic minorities living along the river. The ethical cultures and customs are special and the scenic spots and historical sites are numerous. 8.

Nujiang River (Nujiang, 怒江) The Nujiang River is originated from the southern slope of the Tanggula Mountain Range in Tibet Autonomous Region, flowing north to south across the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province, with a total length of 2,816 kilometers and a drainage area of 324,000 square kilometers. The name of the river is changed into the Salween River after flowing into Burma from China, and it finally empties into the Andaman Sea of Indian Ocean at the Moulmein. 9. Hanjiang River (Han Jiang, 汉江) The Hanjiang River, also called Han Shui River, is one of the most important tributaries of the Yangtze River with a total length of 1532 km. It rises in southwestern Shaanxi and then crosses into Hubei. It merges with the Yangtze at Wuhan in Hubei Province. The name of the Han kingdom and the later Han Dynasty and subsequently of the China's majority ethnic group apparently derives from this river. 10.

Liaohe River (Liao He, 辽河) Being one of the largest rivers in northern China, the Liaohe River is called the Mother River by people in Liaoning Province. Originated in Qilaotu Mountain in Heibei Province, it flows 1,394 kilometers through Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, and at last empties into the Bohai Sea, with a drainage area of 201,600 square kilometers. Top 10s in China In-Depth Look at The Yellow River of China By N.S. Gill's Ancient/Classical History Glossary Definition: Wildly considered to be the cradle of Chinese civilization and the Chinese race, the Yellow River (Huang He in Chinese) is called the Mother River—a reference to its waters providing fertility to the land.

As the second largest river in China after the famous Yangtze, it spans 5,464 km (3,398 mi.) and traverses nine provinces of China (Qinghai, Sichuan , Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia , Shaanxi , Shanxi , Henan , Shandong Provinces) as it flows from the Bayankala Mountains, in the Plateau of Tibet to the Bohai Gulf in northeast China, where it feeds its uniquely colored water into the Yellow Sea. In its course, the river gathers waters from many sources: 35 main tributaries and more than a thousand streams. The Yellow River gets its name (Huang means yellows) from the color of clay dust--loess sediments--that blows into the river from the Central Asian Steppe . Snaking through China as it does, the Yellow River has played a crucial role in the development of Chinese political, economic and cultural development over the last 6,000 years. continue reading below our video 4 Tips for Improving Test Performance The home to many cultural and ethnic groups in the Yellow River Valley, the waters provided a conduit for the growth of numerous dynasties.

With the rise of reach new culture, the river acted as a mechanism by which technological and cultural breakthroughs could be spread. Indeed the river valley is lined with archeological sites that reveal bronze and silk treasures of centuries and millennia past. Ultimately, a more unified culture that shared similar food, fashion, language and social customs evolved, giving rise to a civilization that became a feudal empire. There are numerous legends surrounding the Yellow River. An ancient creation story held that the river was a continuation of the Milky Way. Another story claimed that a dragon from the river brought the strokes to the Chinese from which the Chinese characters developed. The river is also the source of sad legends. The Yellow River is known as China's Sorrow (also "The Ungovernable" and "Scourge of the Sons of Han") because it has caused countless deaths through its devastating floods. In modern times, the river has become an important source of hydro-electrical power, which is vital to China’s survival. At least 16 dams have been constructed on the river since 1960.

A 2008 report, however, claims that the river has become severely polluted and that nearly one third of the river was unfit for agricultural or industrial use, thanks to huge increases in factory and sewage discharges from China’s fast-expanding cities. "The Hwang Ho, Yellow River" Frederick G. Clapp Geographical Review, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Jan., 1922), pp. 1-18 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, BiologicalSciences, Vol. 275, No. 936, The Early History of Agriculture (Jul. 27, 1976), pp. 143-157. Geographical Review, Vol. 69, No. 3 (Jul., 1979), pp. 253-272. "The Arts of Ancient China" James C. Y. Watt The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, Vol. 48, No. 1, The Arts of Ancient China (Summer, 1990), pp. 1-2+4-72.

"Review Article: Silt and the Future Development of China's Yellow River" Mei Chengrui and Harold E. Dregne The Geographical Journal, Vol. 167, No. 1 (Mar., 2001), pp. 7-22. Also Known As: The Long River, China's Sorrow, Soloma, Ma ch'u, Rma ch'u, Alten Gol or Gold River. Alternate Spellings: Huang He, Huang Ho, Hwang Ho Examples: The Shang Dynasty located its early fortified capital cities along the Yellow River in the second millennium B.C. Growing rice and controlling the flooding of the Yellow River have gone together since the 22nd century B.C. [Chang and Bunting].

Go to Other Ancient / Classical History Glossary pages beginning with the letter: Yangtze River | river, China | Britannica.com Yangtze River Alternative Titles: Ch’ang Chiang, Chang Jiang, Da Jiang Related Topics Nanjing Yangtze River, Chinese (Pinyin) Chang Jiang or (Wade-Giles romanization) Ch’ang Chiang , longest river in both China and Asia and the third longest river in the world, with a length of 3,915 miles (6,300 kilometres). Its basin, extending for some 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from west to east and for more than 600 miles (1,000 km) from north to south, drains an area of 698,265 square miles (1,808,500 square km). From its source on the Plateau of Tibet to its mouth on the East China Sea , the river traverses or serves as the border between 10 provinces or regions. More than three-fourths of the river’s course runs through mountains. The Yangtze has eight principal tributaries.

On its left bank, from source to mouth, these are the Yalung, Min, Jialing , and Han rivers; those on the right bank include the Wu, Yuan, Xiang, and Gan rivers. The Huang He basin and the Yangtze River basin and their drainage networks. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Bend in the upper Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), Yunnan province, southwestern China. Long Hongtao—Xinhua/Corbis The name Yangtze—derived from the name of the ancient fiefdom of Yang—has been applied to the river mainly by those in the West. Chang Jiang (“Long River”) is the name used in China, although it also is called Da Jiang (“Great River”) or, simply, Jiang (“[The] River”). The Yangtze is the most important river of China. It is the country’s principal waterway, and its basin is China’s great granary and contains nearly one-third of the national population.

Physical features The upper course The upper course of the Yangtze flows across the Plateau of Tibet and descends through deep valleys in the mountains east of the plateau, emerging onto the Yunnan-Guizhou (Yungui) Plateau. Summers there are warm, and the winters are cold. The source of the Yangtze is the Ulan Moron (Wulanmulun) River, which originates in glacial meltwaters on the slopes of the Tanggula Mountains in southern Qinghai province on the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region. From the confluence of this stream with several others, the river flows generally easterly through a shallow, spacious valley, the bottom of which is studded with lakes and small reservoirs. This part of its course lies in the higher regions of the Tibetan highlands. First bend of the Yangtze River, Yunnan province, China. Bruno Morandi—age fotostock/Imagestate Jordan River The river’s character changes sharply upon reaching the eastern limits of the highlands.

There the river—which in this stretch is called the Jinsha—descends from a high elevation, winding its way south of the high Bayan Har Mountains and forming a narrow valley up to 2 miles (3 km) in depth. Individual mountain peaks exceed elevations of 16,000 feet (4,900 metres) above sea level and are crowned with glaciers and perpetual snow. The steep, rocky slopes are cut with gorges and deep valleys. For several hundred miles the Yangtze flows in a southeasterly direction, before turning south to flow downward in rushing rapids. For a considerable distance the river flows through passes that are so steep that no room is left even for a narrow path. Villages, which are rarely found, are located high above the river. In this region the Yangtze runs close and parallel to both the Mekong and Salween rivers; all three rivers are within 15 to 30 miles (25 to 50 km) of one another and continue to flow in mutual proximity for a distance of more than 250 miles (400 km).

North of latitude 26° N these great rivers diverge, and the Yangtze turns east to pass through a winding valley with steep slopes. The river receives the waters of many tributaries, among which the Yalong River is the largest and contributes the most water. The Yangtze then widens to between 1,000 and 1,300 feet (300 and 400 metres), reaching depths often exceeding 30 feet (9 metres). In narrower gorges the water width decreases by almost half, but the depth increases sharply. Britannica Stories Scientists Ponder Menopause in Killer Whales Near the end of the upstream part of its course, the Yangtze descends to an elevation of 1,000 feet above sea level. Thus, over the first 1,600 miles (2,600 km) of its length, the river has fallen more than 17,000 feet (5,200 metres), or an average of more than 10 feet per mile (2 metres per km) of its course. In the mountains, however, there is a substantial stretch where the fall of the river is considerably greater.

The middle course All About Asia The middle course of the Yangtze stretches for about 630 miles (1,010 km) between the cities of Yibin in Sichuan province and Yichang in Hubei province. The climate is characterized by hot summers and relatively mild winters, as the high mountains to the west protect the region from the cold north and west winds. Annual precipitation measures between 40 and 60 inches (1,000 to 1,500 mm), a large part of it occurring in summer; the growing season lasts for more than six months. In most of this segment, the river crosses hilly Sichuan province, where the lower mountains and plateaus connect the highlands of southwestern China with the Qin (Tsinling) Mountains lying between the Yangtze and Huang He (Yellow River) basins. Located in this area is Chongqing , a major industrial centre and river port. The river’s width there is from about 1,000 to 1,600 feet (300 to 500 metres), and the depth in places exceeds 30 feet.

The current is swift; the banks often are high and steep. The river falls some 820 feet (250 metres) in Sichuan, more than a foot per mile (0.2 metre per km) of flow. As the Yangtze flows through eastern Sichuan and into western Hubei, it traverses for a distance of 125 miles (200 km) the famous Three Gorges region before debouching onto the plains to the east. The gorges have steep, sheer slopes composed mainly of thick limestone rocks. Prior to the completion of the Three Gorges Dam in 2006, they rose some 1,300 to 2,000 feet (400 to 600 metres) above the river, although with the creation of the reservoir behind the dam their height has been diminished fairly significantly. Nonetheless, they still present the appearance of fantastic towers, pillars, or spears. Qutang, the first gorge—about 5 miles (8 km) long—is the shortest; prior to its inundation, the river there was considered the most dangerous for navigation, being extremely narrow with many rapids and eddies.

Wu, the second gorge, stretches for about 30 miles (50 km); it is a narrow, steep corridor with almost vertical walls of heights up to 1,600 or even 2,000 feet above the river. The last gorge, Xiling, is located upstream of Yichang and extends for a distance of 21 miles; in places limestone cliffs rise directly out of the water, although with the rise of the reservoir to much lower heights than before. The gorges are rocky, and the walls are speckled with cracks, niches , and indentations. Even before the river was inundated, its depth in the gorges was considerable, increasing to between 500 and 600 feet (150 and 180 metres) and giving the Yangtze the greatest depths of any river in the world. Xiling Gorge, in the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), as it appeared before … © Wolfgang Kaehler Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest The lower part of the Yangtze basin is centred on the extensive lowland plains of east-central China.

The region experiences a temperate climate with warm springs, hot summers, cool autumns, and relatively cold winters for the latitude. Monsoons (seasonally changing winds) dominate the weather of the region, and in the summer and autumn typhoons occur periodically. As the Yangtze exits from the Three Gorges Dam, near Yichang, it enters a complex system of lakes, marshes, and multiple river channels developed on the plains of Hunan and Hubei provinces. This vast region, lying at elevations below 165 feet (50 metres), has served as a natural flood-regulation basin in recent geologic history. Three main tributaries (the Yuan , Xiang , and Han rivers) and many smaller ones join the Yangtze in this region, which also is where the current slows as the river reaches the plain. Water levels fluctuate considerably between the flood and low-flow seasons. In addition, the presence of a number of large lakes, including Dongting Lake and Lakes Hong and Liangzi, also causes considerable fluctuations in water volume. The total area of the lakes, at average water levels, is some 6,600 square miles (17,100 square km).

The lakes are of national economic significance, mainly as fisheries. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies At the edge of the Lake Liangzi plain the Yangtze widens markedly, the course of its stream wandering in the form of a large loop. The width of the river is up to 2,600 feet (800 metres), the depth is more than 100 feet (30 metres), and the water current flows at a rate of about 3.5 feet (1 metre) per second. The banks are built up for protection from floods. In the southern part of the plain lies Dongting Lake, which once was the largest freshwater lake in China but now has been reduced in area by silting and land reclamation; it shares four tributaries and two canals with the Yangtze, whose flow it serves to regulate. The surrounding area, agricultural and studded with lakes, is China’s most important rice-producing region. At the centre of the lakes region is the large metropolis of Wuhan .

Situated on the Yangtze near the mouth of the Han River, it was formed in 1950 by the merger of the cities of Hanyang and Hankou on the left bank and Wuchang on the right bank and has become one of China’s most important metallurgical-industry centres and river ports. Farther east the Yangtze flows into a narrowing, picturesque valley and then passes onto the plain of Jiangxi province, which contains Lake Poyang , China’s largest natural freshwater lake. The lake, with an average area of about 1,385 square miles (3,585 square km), receives the Kan River tributary and, in turn, is linked to the Yangtze by a wide tributary. The river then turns to the northeast, passes through a widening valley, and flows out onto the southern North China Plain . The width of the river increases at this point to between 3,000 and 6,000 feet (900 and 1,800 metres), and the depth in places approaches 100 feet. In this region there are a number of large cities, including Anqing , Wuhu , and Nanjing .

The Grand Canal (Da Yunhe), which, with a length of nearly 1,100 miles (1,800 km), is one of the longest canals in the world; it crosses the Yangtze in the vicinity of the city of Zhenjiang . The Yangtze delta Open Door policy The Yangtze delta , which begins beyond Zhenjiang, consists of a large number of branches, tributaries, lakes, ancient riverbeds, and marshes that are connected with the main channel. During major floods the delta area is completely submerged. Lake Tai , with an area of about 930 square miles (2,410 square km), is notable as the largest of the many lakes in the delta. The width of the Yangtze in the delta, as far as the city of Jiangyin, ranges from less than 1 mile to almost 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km); farther downstream the channel gradually widens and becomes a large estuary , the width of which exceeds 50 miles (80 km) near the mouth of the river.

Major cities in the delta include Wuxi , Suzhou , and, at the river’s mouth, Shanghai . Before emptying into the sea, the Yangtze divides into two arms that drain independently into the East China Sea. The left branch has a width of about 3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 km), the right branch of 6 to 15 miles (10 to 25 km). Between the branches is situated Chongming Island , which was formed over the centuries by the deposit of alluvium at the mouth of the Yangtze. The depth of the river in places approaches 100 to 130 feet (30 to 40 metres) but decreases to only several feet near the sea at the mouth of the river because of the presence of sandbars. The section of river from the mouth to 250 miles (400 km) upstream is subject to the influence of tides. The maximum range of the tides near the mouth is 13 to 15 feet (4 to 5 metres). The Yangtze delta is rich in mud and silt and is dominated by fluvial and tidal processes.

The present-day bed of the Yangtze in this area is somewhat above the elevation of the plain. Thus, to protect the surrounding region from floodwaters, the banks of the main and other rivers are built up; the total length of banks on the Yangtze on which levees have been constructed is about 1,700 miles (2,740 km). Dams also have been built for flood protection on the shores of several lakes; the Qingjiang Reservoir, for example, built for this purpose near Dongting Lake, has a design capacity of 194 million cubic feet (5.5 million cubic metres). The delta is protected from the sea by two gigantic parallel banks that are faced with stone in most parts. Geology In its upper reaches the Yangtze River drains across the Plateau of Tibet, which is still uplifting as the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. The bedrock comprises an assemblage of marine sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Within intermontane basins, thick deposits of sediments of Cenozoic age—i.e., less than about 65 million years old—overlie the bedrock.

The Yangtze descends abruptly from the Tibetan Plateau to flow across deeply eroded mountain plateaus consisting of Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks roughly 350 to 150 million years old. In its lower reaches, the Yangtze River flows across basin fills of Cenozoic material that is about 65 to 25 million years old. These are the result of fluvial sedimentation as the Yangtze has migrated across its lower basin throughout its Cenozoic history. Hydrology The Yangtze basin is comparatively well irrigated; the average yearly rainfall amounts to about 43 inches (1,100 mm). Most of the precipitation is brought by the monsoon winds and falls primarily as rain in the summer months. In the mountainous part of the basin the precipitation is mainly snow. Floods , which result from the monsoon rains in the middle and lower parts of the basin, usually begin in March or April and can occur at any time during the next eight months. In May the water level decreases somewhat but then sharply increases again, continuing to rise until August , when it reaches its highest level.

After that the water level gradually falls to the premonsoon levels, the decrease continuing through the autumn and most of the winter until February, when the lowest annual level is reached. The annual range of water-level fluctuations is considerable—an average of about 65 feet (20 metres)—with 26 to 35 feet (8 to 11 metres) during years of low water. Downstream from the Three Gorges Dam the impact of the water-level variation is lessened by the dam itself and by the regulating effect of the lakes. In the delta tides exert the greatest influence on the water level. Near the city of Wusong the daily tidal range is 15 feet (4.5 metres), and the yearly range is 20 feet (6 metres). A breakdown of the water volume delivered to the mouth of the Yangtze shows that the highland part of the basin contributes 10 percent of the flow, while the remainder of the water in the river is contributed by the middle and downstream parts of the basin, with runoff from the basins of Dongting Lake and Lake Poyang being responsible for about two-fifths of the volume. The Yangtze carries a tremendous volume of water.

In the upstream areas the average flow exceeds 70,000 cubic feet (1,980 cubic metres) per second, which is more than the discharge rate of the second longest river in China, the Huang He, at its mouth. After the inflow from the first large tributary—the Yalong River—the volume in the Yangtze increases sharply, approaching an average of 194,000 cubic feet (5,500 cubic metres) per second. Farther downstream the Yangtze admits many tributaries, and the volume gradually increases.

Prior to the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, it reached 529,000 cubic feet (15,000 cubic metres) per second at the end of the Three Gorges area, 847,000 cubic feet (24,000 cubic metres) per second at Wuhan, and some 1,100,000 cubic feet (31,100 cubic metres) per second at its mouth; the total volume entering the sea annually was roughly 235 cubic miles (979 cubic km), ranking it third in volume of flow behind the Amazon and Congo rivers. Those numbers have decreased somewhat since the completion of the dam in 2006. The suspended sediment load at the mouth of the Yangtze is some 478 million tons per year, one of the highest sediment loads of any river in the world. During the seasonal rains the Yangtze widely floods the lower areas, and the maximum volume of water entering the sea can be more than double the average flow. Likewise, the flow decreases during the dry season, sometimes to about one-fourth the average flow.

In spite of the fact that the discharge volume of the Yangtze vastly exceeds that of the Huang He, the Yangtze is significantly less silty than the Huang He. This is because much of the Huang He’s course is over the Loess Plateau with its easily erodible loess (wind-deposited soil), whereas the Yangtze flows over little loess, and its floodplains are more vegetated and less erodible. In the mountainous part of the basin, particularly in the Plateau of Tibet, the waters of the Yangtze contain little silt . Downstream, however, the waters become muddy and acquire a coffee colour. It is estimated that the Yangtze annually carries between 280 million and 300 million tons of alluvium to its mouth, depositing an estimated 150 million to 200 million tons on the river bottom in addition. Thus, the total amount of suspended material carried or deposited is between 430 million and 500 million tons per year, one of the highest sediment loads of any river in the world.

As a result of the depositing of alluvium at the river’s mouth, the delta extends into the sea an average of one mile every hundred years. During the period of monsoon rains, the Yangtze and its tributaries formerly spilled over, creating extensive floods . If the floods in the main channel coincided with flooding in one or more of the major tributaries, powerful, destructive flood waves could result, an occurrence that happened repeatedly in the history of China. One of the major objectives of the Three Gorges project is to control such flooding by the river. When flooding occurs, it frequently results from the deposit of silt in the bed of the Yangtze. Upon leaving the mountains and entering the plain, the current in the Yangtze sharply decreases, and thus the flow cannot continue to carry the entire amount of silt. As a result, a significant portion is deposited in the bed, causing the bottom to rise. A similar situation occurs in many of the Yangtze’s tributaries. Flooding thus presents a great danger to the inhabitants of the adjacent plains. Human adaptation to and utilization of the plains of the Yangtze valley have evolved in the context of such floods.

Among the legends and myths handed down from the earliest historical times are accounts of floods that submerged vast areas. These are said to have turned the plains into inland seas, with water remaining in the lowest places for many years at a time. Catastrophic floods have occurred throughout recorded history. During the period from 206 bce to 1960 ce, China experienced more than 1,030 major floods. Especially extensive flooding has occurred on the Yangtze more than 50 times and on the tributary Han River more than 30 times. On the average, the Yangtze basin has been the scene of catastrophic flooding every 50 to 55 years. Widespread flooding also may take place at shorter intervals. This has been the case since the mid-19th century, as the Yangtze basin has flooded in 1870, 1896, 1931, 1949, and 1954. Of these, the 1931 and 1954 floods were national disasters.

The 1931 flood resulted from heavy, continuous monsoon rains that covered most of the middle and lower parts of the basin. During May and June, six huge flood waves swept down the river, destroying the protecting dams and levees in two dozen places and flooding more than 35,000 square miles (90,000 square km) of land; 40 million people were rendered homeless or otherwise suffered. Many population centres, including Nanjing and the Wuhan conurbation, were underwater. In Wuhan the water remained for more than four months, the depth exceeding 6 feet (1.8 metres) and in places more than 20 feet (6 metres). In the summer of 1954 another powerful flood occurred, again the result of continued monsoon rains. The water level sharply increased and at times exceeded the 1931 flood levels by almost 5 feet (1.5 metres). Effective flood-control measures developed since the 1930s, however, averted many of the potential consequences of the flood. Page 1 of 2

Question: What is the Chinese name for the Yellow River?
Answer: Huang Ho