River-Yangtze River

Yangtze River Source: Encyclopedia of China The Yangtze River originated from the "roof of the world" - the southwest side of the winter peaks of the Tanggula Mountains in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The main stream flows through Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai and 11 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government. It flows into the East China Sea east of Chongming Island, with a total length of about 6300 feet, 800 kilometers longer than the Yellow River (5464 feet). It is the third longest river in the world after the Nile River in Africa and the Amazon River in South America. But the Nile River basin spans nine countries in Africa, the Amazon River basin spans seven countries in South America, and the Yangtze River is unique to China. The main stream of the Yangtze River runs through central China from west to east. Hundreds of tributaries converge from north to south, extending to parts of eight provinces and autonomous regions in Guizhou, Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Fujian. The watershed covers an area of 1.8 million square kilometers, accounting for about 20% of China's total land area. Most of the water in the Huaihe River flows into the Yangtze River through the Grand Canal. The upper reaches of Yichang, the main stream of the Yangtze River, are 4504 kilometers long, with a basin area of 1 million square kilometers, of which the Jinsha River is 3464 kilometers long from Zhimen to Yibin. The section from Yibin to Yichang, commonly known as the Chuanjiang River, is 1040 kilometers long. Yichang to Hukou is the middle reaches with a length of 955 kilometers and a basin area of 680,000 square kilometers. From Hukou to Haikou, it is 938 kilometers long and has a basin area of 120,000 square kilometers.