Yangtze River Facts
The mighty Yangtze, largest river in China, is said to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. The ‘Wan Li Changjiang’ flows 6,300 kilometres from the snowy heights of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the East China Sea, just north of Shanghai. It goes by many local names, but to the Chinese it is most famous simply as Chang Jiang (Long River).
Where does the Yangtze River start and end?
As the longest river in Asia and 3rd longest river in the world, the yangtze originates on the south west side Mt Geladandong, which is the tallest peak in the Danggula Mountains on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The Tuotuo River is source of the Yangtze River. Han River is the longest tributary of the Yangtze River. It joins with The Grand Canal in Nanjing City. It finally empties into East Sea at Shanghai.
The river is 6,397km (3975 mile) long and covers an area of about 1, 8 million sq km. Its upstream is from the source to Yichang City in Hubei Province and the currents are dangerous. The midstream part extends from Yichang to Hukou County in Jiangxi Province where it forms many tributaries and lakes. Between Hukou County and the estuary is known as the downstream part. The river is wide. Chongming Island sits in the estuary.
The Yangtze River passes through 10 provinces including Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shanghai. The largest and most important cities on the river are Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing and Shanghai.
The Three Gorges
Lesser Three Gorges
The old saying goes “If you haven’t traveled up Chang Jiang, you haven’t been anywhere” because the river winds through some of China’s most spectacular scenery. In the western Wu Shan (Witch Mountains) it meets the world-famous Three Great Gorges, renowned for their dramatic beauty, cultural treasures, religious and historical sites, and now for the building of the controversial Three Gorges Dam.
The stunning scenery makes the Three Gorges cruise along the Yangtze a ‘must do’, alone or as part of a longer trip, particularly against the backdrop of the rising waters, newly navigable tributaries and of course, the Dam itself, due for completion in 2009. The world’s largest hydroelectric power plant will generate the equivalent of 15 nuclear plants, control the centuries-old problem of devastating floods and allow navigation well into the interior. (25% of China’s ocean cargo enters the river between Shanghai and the sea.
Chang Jiang has always been a major means of transport, with a colorful and exciting history. Ships were hauled bodily through some of the more dangerous reaches by ‘trackers’ working from narrow paths cut into the steep cliffsides.The pilots and captains, picking their way through the whirlpools, rocks and wildly fluctuating water levels have achieved legendary status.
Wildlife in Yangtze River-Yangtze River Dolphins
Yangtze River Dolphin, also widely known as Baiji Dolphin, is a kind of freshwater cetacean Lipotidae animal that only survives in the middle and downstream area along Yangtze River. This beautiful male creature could grow up to 2.5 meters long and 2.3 meters long for female with weighing 100-150 kg. Their animal heat keeps around at 36℃ and breathes by their lungs. They have very poor eyesight but own a sensitive Sonar system. More>>
These days, however, you can cruise the Yangtze in comfort!
We offer ships and cruises for every taste and budget, ranging from top end five star luxury through four and three star comfort to economical local ferries. Ships sail between Chongqing, Yichang and Wuhan, taking in various sites and shore excursions along the way.
We hope you enjoy browsing these pages, and they guide you to the right Yangtze Cruise for you. We’ve gathered a lot of information, and we keep it up to date. Do you want to know what should do along Yangtze river, please click here.
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