Rivers flowing in China. The longest river in China. Stone Forest Karst in Yunnan Province

What makes China an attractive country for tourism is its abundance of attractions, interesting culture, and history dating back to ancient times. China has many picturesque mountains, rivers, waterfalls and gorges.

One of largest rivers China - Yangtze, 6300 kilometers long. IN snowy mountains It originates from Galadandong and flows through eleven provinces. It is called the river of contrasts. It flows first through the fields, then through the foothills, turning into mountains and gorges, giving way to hills.

In length it is second only to the Nile and the Amazon. The Three Gorges Dam, one of the world's largest hydroelectric dams, was built on this river. It flows through deep valleys and high mountains. The river contains rich hydro resources.

The Yangtze is the main and most convenient shipping route of the country, which runs from west to east. It is called the “golden transport artery”; it seems that nature itself has adapted it for navigation.

Warm and humid climate, abundant rainfall and fertile soil– these are excellent conditions for development Agriculture. The main breadbasket of the country is located here.

The Yangtze River has long been famous for its beauty. There are many legends about local attractions. This is the main highway of China, the most abundant and long river Eurasia. The Yangtze River divides northern and southern China into two parts. Located on the Yangtze Largest cities China - Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing. The city of Shanghai is located in the river delta.

Yellow River

When talking about the two main rivers of China, it should be said that the second largest river of the state, with a length of 5464 kilometers, is the Yellow River, originating on the Tibetan Plateau. In translation it means “yellow river”. She rushes torrent to the east, down from the plateau through the gorges, further through the highlands of Gansu province.

Especially in summer it carries a huge amount of silt, when the river is at its deepest. Floods often occur, for which the river is called “the grief of China.” Then it goes out onto the North China Plain. When leaving the gorge it flows into Bohai Bay. Now in upper reaches Many waterworks have been built on this river. Where the river loses speed, Chinese civilization was born.

Yangtze is longest river in China and throughout the Eurasian continent. Its length is about six thousand kilometers, which can allow it to compete with such large rivers as the Nile and Amazon. The source of the river is in the center of the Tibetan plateau.

The river most likely got its name from an ancient ferry crossing, the name of which was the Yangtze. This was usually the first word that merchants from Europe who arrived here would hear, so the name stuck to the river. However, in China, the name Yangtze has long been outdated, and now only poets use this name in their poems and poems. And the current name of the river is Chang Jiang, and it is translated as “ long river».

Based on the fact that Yangtze River very long then local residents in different sections of it they called it differently, because times were ancient and there were no special movements of peoples, so everyone called their section of the river as they saw fit and accepted it as true. For example, in its upper reaches the river was called Dangku (which means swamp river). Somewhat further downstream, the locals gave the river the name Tuotuo, and even further down, Tongtian (this is more of a philosophical name, which means a river that passes through the sky).

And there are a lot of similar names. And this is no coincidence. After all, the river comes out of Himalayan ice, at an altitude of more than five thousand meters above sea level, then it travels a relatively short distance and reaches a mark of thousands of meters above sea level. Naturally, such changes and features could not be ignored by the residents who settled along the banks of the river, and they gave this great river their names.

Flowing in a stormy current mountains, Yangtze It is very well fed by its tributaries, after which its channel widens noticeably. And reaching the borders of the Yangtze mountain range, he encounters the greatest hydraulic structure in the world - the dam, which is called “Sanxia”. It must be said that the Chinese are using the potential of this river, as they say, to the fullest. A number of dams have been built here, and several more are in the planning and development stage.

One of the remarkable features inherent in the huge state called China is the great variety of fresh water bodies. These are numerous deep rivers, which stretch for thousands of kilometers in length. They can be either deep, rich in underwater vegetation and animal world, and small, but at the same time incredibly beautiful and acceptable for swimming. Along with them, there are also large lakes in China, which simply amaze with their beauty and purity. Therefore, we will now try to tell you in great detail what kind of remarkable and famous bodies of water this country is famous for.

Chinese water grid

The large rivers and lakes of China are a whole water system, which is considered one of the largest in the world. In terms of its abundance, this state ranks sixth on the planet, following Brazil, Russia, Canada, the USA and Indonesia. There are both internal reservoirs, which do not extend their channels and bays beyond the country’s borders, and external ones, which cross the borders of other powers and flow into the Indian, Pacific or Arctic Ocean. Mostly all the large rivers and lakes of China are located in the eastern part of the country, but many of them stretch to other regions. In total, all the river canals of the state amount to 220 thousand kilometers, of which 64% is occupied by external waters, and the rest by internal water bodies, which are mostly shallow and small.

Brief information about the reservoirs of China

In general, over 5,000 rivers flow through this country. The largest of them belong to external waters, and it is they that flow into the World Ocean. Among such rivers it is worth mentioning the Yangtze, Yellow River (the two most big rivers and partly part of the country’s symbols), Zhujiang, Heilongjiang and others. The rest, which we will name below, are internal. China's large rivers and lakes are not always interconnected, but smaller bodies of water tend to flow into large reservoirs. Thus, all the rivers that flow within the country often flow not into the oceans, but into local lakes. Another important aspect is that it is in the valleys of the country’s largest rivers that a huge number of people live. The population density here is much higher than in other regions. But the country’s lakes are rather a magnet for tourists. They are very beautiful here, clean and simply unique.

Water pride of Eurasia

When people talk about the largest rivers in China, the first thing they mention is the waterway called the Yangtze. In addition to the fact that from time immemorial the river has been a nurse and mystical symbol country, it is also the first in size and deepest in all of Eurasia. In the world, it ranks third according to these data. Translated into Russian, “Yangtze” means “Long River”. In fact, the length of this waterway is 6,300 km, and it occupies a fifth of the territory of all of China. Along the Yangtze River the greatest population density is observed; megacities, dams, plants and factories are being built here. In ancient times, it was thanks to the waters of this river that the Chinese were able to invent an irrigation system. Then its waters, which reflected the blue sky, were holy. The river had a second name - Blue or Blue, and its “brother” was the Yellow River, which was called Yellow.

Clear yellow waters

When listing the largest rivers in China, it is impossible to lose sight of the famous Yellow River, which translated into Russian sounds like “Yellow River”. The length of this natural vein of the country is 5464 km, and it originates at the foot of the Tibetan mountains. The Yellow River flows into without crossing the state border. The yellow color of these waters is given by constant sediments of various rocks, which are completely environmentally friendly and do not pose a danger to humans. Unlike the Yangtze, on the banks of which megalopolises, towns and cities are now growing, quiet provincial towns are located along the Yellow River. It was here that the Chinese ethnic group, its culture and traditions were formed in distant centuries.

Lakes - the beauty of the country

Now we will consider precisely the case when the large rivers and lakes of China are interconnected. Poyang Lake is considered the largest freshwater body of water that does not have a current. It is this that is connected to the big river Yangtze State by a small strait. This lake is located in Jiangxi province, that is, on the right bank of the river. It is believed that this reservoir is not only the largest in the country, but also one of the most beautiful and interesting. In summer, the water here has a slightly greenish tint, but it is very clean and transparent. In winter, many birds come here and create their families here. By the way, another lake that is connected to Dongting is considered. It is very vast, but shallow. It was in its valleys that the famous Chinese “dragon boats” originated.

Other lakes in China

But Lake Hongzehu, which is completely different from it, is considered part of it. Its waters are not at all yellow, but transparent blue, surrounded on all sides by rich greenery. The lake itself overflowed repeatedly, thereby blocking the flow of the Yellow River, after which the two bodies of water began to coexist as one. Last largest lake The state is considered to be Chao, which is not connected to any river. A notable feature of the reservoir is Laoshan Island - a small green corner where many trees and shrubs grow.

Conclusion

All of China's largest rivers and lakes are a great source of pride for the country. Here they meet like clear waters, and polluted, but even despite this, local residents are proud of the history of their rivers, their power and grandeur.

One of the attractions of China is its rivers. If you add up the lengths of all, then total it will be 220 thousand km.

The country's waterways form internal and external systems. External rivers flow into the sea or have access to the ocean. Inland rivers there are few, and they are located at a significant distance from each other, flow into lakes or are lost in swamps and deserts. In many parts of China, rivers have become shallow.

Among the abundance of rivers, there are those that are known throughout the world and are especially loved by tourists - the Yellow River, the Yangtze, the Zhujiang.

Yellow River

This is one of the largest rivers in Asia. Translated into Russian it means “Yellow River”. Moreover, its waters are actually yellow. Sand gives it this color. It, in turn, flows into the Yellow Sea. It is believed that it was on the banks of this river that the Chinese ethnic group began its history and formation. That is why the Yellow River of China is rich in tourism resources; the entire history of the great Chinese people is reflected on its banks. This is why river tours offered by numerous travel agencies, quite popular. The Yellow River is included in the list of twelve national tourist routes.

On the banks of the river you can meet peoples who have managed to preserve their original and colorful customs. There are quite a lot of architectural, antique and cultural monuments there. There is always something to see here. These are statues of warriors and horses in the tomb of Qin Shihuang, Buddhist relics in Shanxi province, the legendary Shaolin school of wushu and much more. The unique landscapes amaze with their beauty.

Yangtze

This river is also called the Blue River. Coming to the Celestial Empire, you probably expect to see clean and clear waters. But that's not true. In fact, the Yangtze is quite muddy, and it most likely got its name in opposition to the Yellow River. Another common name is “Long River”, or Changjiang. And here it is - pure truth because this water artery is one of the longest and deepest in Eurasia. Its length is 6 thousand km, and in some places it reaches a width of 2.5 km!

China's Blue River has many attractions and beauties. For example, its shores are formed mainly by mountains covered with green vegetation and steep gorges. The upper Tiger Leaping Gorge is the deepest in the world. The height of the stone walls is 2 thousand meters, and the height of the mountains towering above it reaches 4 thousand meters! Among the man-made “miracles” are the dam and hydroelectric power station, which are the largest in the world.

Zhujiang

The Pearl River of China also got its name not because there are pearls in it, but because of the island that lies in the middle of the riverbed. This is a rock that has been polished by nature over time to an almost brilliant shine, making it resemble a pearl. The island is called the Sea Pearl. The Zhujiang ranks third in the ranking of "China's longest rivers" with a score of 2129 km.

One of the most favorite entertainment among tourists is a cruise on night river in Guangzhou. Tourists are presented with a magnificent picture: the bright lights of the city are reflected in the dark jade waters. Everything looks quite romantic!