Rivers are cradles of human civilization, and China's rivers gave birth to the people of China. China has vast territories with many far-reaching rivers that carry great volumes of water. Since many major rivers originate from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where the water falls a great distance as it travels, the hydraulic power resources of China's rivers rank first in the world.

China not only has many rivers, but also many highly developed water systems. They can be divided into three major water systems: the Pacific Ocean(the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Pearl River, etc.), the Indian Ocean (the Nujiang River, the Yarlung Zangbo River, etc.), and the Arctic Ocean Water Systems (the Ertiz River, etc.).

The Yangtze River

The Long River, also known as the Yangtze River, originates from the "Roof of the World"—the Tanggula Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It travels through Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shanghai, until from the east of the Chongming Island it pours into the East China Sea.

The watershed area of the Yangzte River is 1.8 million square kilometers, accounting for about 20% of China's total land area. The length of the Yangtze River is more than 6,300 kilometers, making it the third largest river in the world and the longest river in Asia behind only the Nile River in Africa and the Amazon River in South America. The upper reaches of the Yangtze River has great falls. There are famous gorges such as the Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Three Gorges, and the natural landscape is beautiful. The high drop also brings abundant hydraulic power resources. People built the Three Gorges and Gezhouba hydropower stations in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, effectively alleviating the shortage of power resources in the middle eastern regions of China. The middle reaches of the Yangtze River has the title of ''the zigzagging path of nine turns". There are many scenic spots and beautiful landscapes along the Yangtze River. The lower reaches of the Yangtze River have a relatively flat terrain, where the water flow slows and the water deepens as it connects to the sea. Large ships can pass through this area which is known as the "golden waterway". The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River have developed agriculture, convenient transportation, a large population, and prosperous economy, and are home to important cities such as Nanjing and Shanghai.

Cultural Notes

The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, from the west of Chongqing to the east of Yichang in Hubei Province, is a magnificent canyon of mountains and rivers known as one of the “Top Ten Scenic Spots in China” and one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese culture.