I believe most travelers are interested not only in the history and culture but also the landscapes of one country. Among the landscapes mountains and rivers are the most commonly recommended attractions by travel agencies. In fact, mountains and rivers provide us not only with their unique appearances but also their underlying history and culture. Many foreign travelers come to China for its long history and splendid culture. They usually explore China during their china travel either Tibet Tours or Guangzhou Tours by visiting historical sites or cultural relics. I suggest these travelers to see mountains and rivers in China as they can open a new window into Chinese culture. In this article I will introduce five main rivers in China. I hope it can be helpful for those on China Tours.
1. Yangtze River (Chang Jiang)
Yangtze River is the longest river in China and the third longest river in the world following the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America. With a length of 6397 kilometers it originates from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai, flows eastward across the southwest, central and east parts of China and finally into the East China Sea. It provides drinking water for Chinese people living along the river. Therefore it is called with the Yellow River “Mother Rivers”. The most famous scenery along the Yangtze River is the Three Gorges which extends from Baidicheng in the west to Yichang in the east. It consists of the Qutang Gorge, the Wuxia Gorge and the Xiling Gorge and form a typical river-type scenic area.
2. The Yellow River (Huang He)
The Yellow River is the second longest river in China and the fifth longest one in the world. It is honored as the cradle of Chinese civilization as its
basin is the birthplace of the northern Chinese civilizations and was the most prosperous region in early Chinese history. It originates from the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai, flows through Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shanxi, Henan and Shandong and finally joins the Bo Sea. Another reason for its wide reputation is related to the fact that it has the largest sediment concentration.
3. The Pearl River (Zhu Jiang)
The third longest river in China is the Pearl River which is also the longest river in southern China. It used to refer to the river section from Guangzhou to the South Sea. Later it extends its coverage and is a term referring to the West River, North River, the East River and the Pearl River Delta. With a length of 2400 kilometers it drains Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangzhou, Hongkong and Macao.
4. The Hai River (Hai He)
The Hai River is the largest river system in North China. It consists of five
rivers: the North Canal, Yongding River, Daqing River, Ziya River and the South Canal, with a length of 1090 kilometers. The main cities it drains are Beijing and Tianjin.
5. The Liao River (Liao He)
As the longest river in Northeast China, the Liao River flows through Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin and Liaoning. It is 1430 kilometers long and covers an area of 229,000 square kilometers. It is also one of the birthplaces for Chinese civilization.
So that’s the brief introduction. If you are planning a china travel, you might as well pay some attention to the main rivers in China. These rivers just flow through provinces and cities. When you are visiting some cities you may have a look at some rivers as well. By doing so you could feel the underlying cultures of different regions of China.
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