China has 50,000 rivers that cover a catchments area
of at least 100 square kilometers, and 1,500 of them
cover a catchments area of more than 1,000 square kilometers.
Most of the rivers flow from west to east to empty into
the Pacific Ocean. The main rivers include the Yangtze
(Changjiang), the Yellow River (Huanghe), Heilongjiang,
the Pearl River, Liaohe, Haihe, Qiantangjiang and Lancang
Rivers. At 6,300 kilometers long, the Yangtze is the
longest river in China. The second longest is the Yellow
River at 5,464 kilometers. The Grand Canal from Hangzhou
to Beijing is a great water project in ancient China.
1,794 kilometers in length, it is the longest canal
in the world.
 Yangtze
River and Three Gorges
 The
Yangtze is the largest river in China, and the third-
longest in the world, next only to the Nile in northeast
Africa and the Amazon in South America. It is 6,300
km long, and has a catchment area of 1.809 million sq
km. The middle and lower Yangtze River's warm and humid
climate, plentiful rainfall and fertile soil make the
area an important agricultural region. Known as the
golden waterway, the Yangtze is a transportation artery
linking west and east.
Together with the Yellow River, the Yangtze River is
considered as the Chinese people's lifeline. It can
offer travelers many kinds of expeditions. The river
can be traveled by scheduled steamers or luxury cruise
ships for the 2,500 km between Chongqing and Shanghai.
The travelers can also make overland expeditions to
trace the remote upper reaches of the river - northern
Yunnan, Tibet, and even as far as the river's source
in Qinghai.
 For
centuries, this great river also has been a great source
of catastrophic flooding in China. Chinese government
is planning a monstrous project to build a dam across
the Three Gorges. The dam is supposed to control the
river's flooding problem and generate electricity. However,
this project also involves relocating a million people
and scores of historical sites. Therefore, it has not
been a controversy-free topic.
Before Emperor Qin Shihuang united China, the Kingdom
of Chu dominated the river from about 770 BC until 221
BC. It produced one of the most admired patriot-poet-statesman,
Quyuan, in Chinese history. It was his death that inspired
the first dragon boat races.
The Three Kingdom's period started about 220 AD and
ended in 265 AD. The battles fought among the three
contending kingdoms were depicted vividly in the Chinese
classic, The Tale of Three Kingdoms. There are still
many sites along the Yangtze River that are associated
with many famous battles fought then. Ask about the
famous Battle of the Red Cliffs west of Wuhan.
The journey downstream starts with the city of Chongqing.
There are many interesting sites to see in the small
towns nearby: Fengdu was known for a temple dedicated
to the King of the Underworld; Fuling was the site of
the royal tombs of the fourth-century state of Ba. Also
look for Shiabozhai, a temple built on a 100-foot-high
rock that juts into the sky.
 Continue
going downstream, Wanxian is the overnight stop for
the scheduled steamers before they negotiate the Three
Gorges by morning light. Go check out the Taibai Rock,
where the famous romantic poet, Li Bai of Tang Dynasty
is said to have stayed.
The next stop, Yunyang is also famous in stories from
the Three Kingdoms period (220-265).
Baidicheng is the last city before you reach the first
gorge, the Qutang. It offers splendid views into the
mouth of Qutang, and has a temple which was originally
dedicated to the mythical White Emperor.
Qutang Gorge was known to foreigners in the last century
as 'The Windbox' because of the light mist hanging between
towering cliffs.
The next gorge is Wu Gorge with twelve peaks. The most
renowned peak is Goddess Peak (Shennu Feng), which is
said to resemble the figure of a maiden kneeling in
front of a pillar. Xiling Gorge, the longest of the three gorges, runs
for 75 km through slopes planted with orange groves.
The shoals and rapids within Xiling were the most treacherous
of all obstacles in the Three Gorges. Until the 1950s,
boasts were hauled over them by trackers, whose backbreaking
job would guarantee them an exceedingly short life span.
 Yichang
marks the end of the upper reaches of the Yangtze. Dongting
Lake, China's second largest freshwater lake, is not
too far from it.
Hankou, Hanyang and Wuchang are located close to each
other along lower Yangtze. Hankou was the city with
the foreign concessions, and to this day has remained
the commercial center of Wuhan.
Wuchang is linked to an important event in Chinese
revolutionary history. It was here that the military
uprising started and ultimately toppled the Qing Dynasty.
Hanyang has two famous sights of its own, the Lute
Pavilion and the Buddhist Guiyuan Monastery. The monastery
is an important center for Zen Buddhism. It contains
500 carved and gilded luohans (Buddhist disciples),
which are considered works of great craftsmanship.
The next port is Jiujiang, which is the stop-over point
during visits to the mountain of Lushan mountain. Lushan
Mountain offers a cool retreat from the baking temperatures
of the Yangtze plain.
The end of the Yangtze River is Yangzhou and Shanghai.
See the city sections for details on these two cities.
Grand
Canal
Canalized in the Sui dynasty (581-618),
Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is one of the greatest
projects constructed in ancient China as well as the
longest man-made waterway in world.
 In
604 AD, Emperor Yangdi of the Sui dynasty made a tour
to Luoyang. In the second year, he moved the capital
to Luoyang and ordered the canalization of the Grand
Canal. This task lasted for six years and thousands
of labors involved in it. Finally, those original scrappy
canals were joined up and the Grand Canal formed.
With a total length of 1764 kilometers, the canal, communicating
Yangtze River, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Haihe River
and Qiantang River, flows through Beijing, Tianjing,
Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang with Hangzhou
at its southernmost end.
Since most of China's major rivers flow from west to
east, the Grand Canal running north and south provides
an important connector between several minor river systems,
being restored as a water-diversion conduit. It has
played an important role in strengthening economic and
cultural intercourse between north and south and promoting
the development of the country's economy.
Tangqi town in Yuhang county of Hangzhou is a famous
ancient town on the Grand Canal. Till today, 300-year-old
seven-arched Tongji Bridge and the ancient streets along
the canal are well preserved. To take a boat ride on
the Grand Canal here gives one a full view of the landscape
of a typical river town in southern China.
Yellow
River
The Yellow River runs tirelessly day and night. It
has nurtured The Chinese nation and bred the Chinese
civilization. Chinese people call it the Mother River.
 From
its place of origin passes Qinghai and Gansu, the mighty
Yellow River turns north at Ningxia's Shizuisha to Inner
Mongolia. Then it becomes mild and quiet. Its flow has
brought the Mongolian grasslands lushness and richness.
The Yellow River is as important to this piece of land
as Niles is to Egypt.
Inner Mongolia is a wild and fascinating place with
legendary stories of Ginghis Khan and the mighty Mogolian
army. In pleasantly cool summer and autumn days, the
vast grasslands beyond the Great Wall of China are more
graceful and enchanting. The beautiful place nurtured
a beautiful and strong people. Mongolian people are
born singers and dancers. Horse racing, wrestling and
archery are regarded as "the three skill of men".
Leaving the grasslands, the Yellow River heads south
and pours down to the Loess Plateau. The fierce water
of the Yellow River cuts the plateau into two pieces.
The deep gorge it made becomes the natural demarcation
between Shanxi Province and Shaanxi Province. This is
the Jin-Shaan Gorge as it is usually called.
At the valley between Ji County of Shanxi and Yichuan
County of Shaanxi, the Yellow River created the Hukou
Waterfall, the second largest waterfall in China. The
pouring water of the Yellow River falls 70 meters onto
the stone valley which is only 40 meters in width, splashing
high spray with thundering noises.
On the Shanxi side of the Jin-Shaan Gorge, the landscape
is splendid and beautiful. The long history has left
Shanxi abundant cultural heritages and wonder tourist
sites.
 In
the Jin-Shaan Gorge, the Yellow River is blocked by
the Qin Mountains and turns to the western Henan. Its
rapid tidal waves cut off the solid rocks at Shaan County
and created the precipitous Sanmenxia Gorge.
At Mengjin County the Yellow River enters the grand
plains created by itself and then winds its way eastward.
The huge amount of silt the Yellow River brought from
the Loess Plateau was deposited in the plains and made
the riverbed higher and higher and becomes the world-famous
"suspension river". The ancient Chinese people lived for generations on
this piece land made by the Yellow River. They left
us abundant cultural heritages and relics. The ancient
walls, tombs, architectures, carved stones are scattered
over the Central Plains. They are like pearls inlaid
on the Central Plains reflecting the glory of the ancient
Chinese civilization.
The Central Plains is a museum of the history of the
Chinese people. The culture relics unearthed from this
part of China span over 5,000 years, tracing back to
the primative man age.
The Central Plains, the center of the land, was a place
contested by military forces during every dynasty. Many
cities of this area had been the capitals of various
dynasties through out history.
 The
numerous famous cultural cities and historic sites in
the Central Plains form a colorful humane scenery, attracting
visitors from China and all over the world.
Leaving the Central Plains behind, The Yellow River
arrives at Shandong, a beautiful land famous for its
own style of cuisine and intellectuals, including Confucius.
In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States
Period, the east part of Shandong was the Qi State and
the west part the Lu State. This is why Shandong is
called "the land of Qi and Lu."
At last, after traveling for 5,464 kilometers, the
mighty torrent of the Yellow River joins in the blue
sea at the point between Kenli County and Lijin County
of Shandong. Although not the largest or the most beautiful
river in the world, the Yellow River does bear special
meanings to the Chinese people. Its power and relentlessness
have always been the inspiration for generations of
Chinese revolutionaries to forge forward.
Yarlung
Zangbo River 
As long as 2,057 km, the Yaluzangbu River turns and
twists like a silver dragon from the west to the east
into the valleys of South Tibet.It runs through Muotuo
county.After a 90-degree turn,it empties into the Indian
Ocean.People could have a good time with their yak hide
boats on canoes in the upper level of the River with
going down to the lower level is quite exciting and
challenging.
Li
jiang
 Li
Jiang Scenic Area is situated in Li Jiang Naxi Nationality
Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, which is the famous
cultural city of history.
Hei Long Tan (Black Dragon Pond), otherwise known as
Jade Spring, irrigates the surrounding area. The verdant
and luxuriant trees, a carpet of grass, crystal clear
spring water in which the snow capped Jade Dragon peak
is reflected, all make a picturesque scenery. De Yue
(Moon Catching) Tower is built in the middle of the
pond. Fayun Pavilion in the northern part was built
in 1601, the structure of which is exquisite and delicate
with beautiful style, a unique piece among ancient buildings.
Snow Mountain of Jade Dragon. It is 5596 meters above
sea level, and its 13 peaks look like a crystal jade
dragon dancing in the air with snow capped peaks touching
the cloud, a magnificent scene indeed.
Tiger Jumping Gorge. On the western of it there stands
high the precipice with narrow bottom. From the river
surface to the peak, the relative height is 3900 meters,
while the width of the river is only 30 meters which
forms a grand gorge. Within the 20 km long gorge, there
are 18 dangerous shoals, one of the deepest and largest
gorges in the world!
The Old Town of Lijiang. The old Town of Lijiang in
northwest Yunnan Province is 600 km from Kunming. Adapted
itself harmoniously to the uneven topography of this
key commercial and strategic site, it has retained an
historic townscape of high quality and authenticity.
Its architecture is noteworthy for the blending of elements
from several cultures that have come together over many
centuries. Lijiang also possesses an ancient water-supply
system of great complexity and ingenuity that is still
functioning effectively. The home mainly of the Naxi
nationality people, Lijiang is the Naxi Autonomous County
seat. In 1997 the Old Town of Lijiang was put on UNESCO
Heritage List.
Pearl
River 
Chin. Zhujiang, river, 110 mi (177 km) long, S Guangdong
prov., S China. Formed at Guangzhou by the confluence
of the Xi and Bei rivers, it flows E then S past Guangzhou
and Huangpu island to form a large estuary between Hong
Kong and Macao. The river links Guangzhou to Hong Kong
and the South China Sea and is one of China¡¯s most important
waterways and one of the centers of its world trade.
It is vitally important to the special economic zones
that lie along its estuary. The estuary, called Boca
Tigris, is kept open for ocean vessels by dredging.
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