n*****8
发帖数: 1 | 15 Yangtze River
RIVER, CHINA
WRITTEN BY: Aleksandr Pavlovich Muranov Charles E. Greer
See Article History
Alternative Titles: Ch’ang Chiang, Chang Jiang, Da Jiang
Yangtze River, Chinese (Pinyin) Chang Jiang or (Wade-Giles romanization) Ch
’ang Chiang, longest river in both China and Asia and third longest river
in the world, with a length of 3,915 miles (6,300 kilometres). Its basin,
extending for some 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from west to east and for more
than 600 miles (1,000 km) from north to south, drains an area of 698,265
square miles (1,808,500 square km). From its source on the Plateau of Tibet
to its mouth on the East China Sea, the river traverses or serves as the
border between 10 provinces or regions. More than three-fourths of the river
’s course runs through mountains. The Yangtze has eight principal
tributaries. On its left bank, from source to mouth, these are the Yalung,
Min, Jialing, and Han rivers; those on the right bank include the Wu, Yuan,
Xiang, and Gan rivers.
The Huang He basin and the Yangtze River basin and their drainage networks.
Bend in the upper Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), Yunnan province, southwestern
China.
The Huang He basin and the Yangtze River basin and their drainage networks.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Bend in the upper Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), Yunnan province, southwestern
China.
© itasun/iStock.com
The name Yangtze—derived from the name of the ancient fiefdom of Yang—has
been applied to the river mainly by those in the West. Chang Jiang (“Long
River”) is the name used in China, although it also is called Da Jiang (“
Great River”) or, simply, Jiang (“[The] River”). The Yangtze is the most
important river of China. It is the country’s principal waterway, and its
basin is China’s great granary and contains nearly one-third of the
national population.
Physical Features
The upper course
The upper course of the Yangtze flows across the Plateau of Tibet and
descends through deep valleys in the mountains east of the plateau, emerging
onto the Yunnan-Guizhou (Yungui) Plateau. Summers there are warm, and the
winters are cold. The source of the Yangtze is the Ulan Moron (Wulanmulun)
River, which originates in glacial meltwaters on the slopes of the Tanggula
Mountains in southern Qinghai province on the border with the Tibet
Autonomous Region. From the confluence of this stream with several others,
the river flows generally easterly through a shallow, spacious valley, the
bottom of which is studded with lakes and small reservoirs. This part of its
course lies in the higher regions of the Tibetan highlands.
First bend of the Yangtze River, Yunnan province, China.
First bend of the Yangtze River, Yunnan province, China.
Bruno Morandi—age fotostock/Imagestate
The river’s character changes sharply upon reaching the eastern limits of
the highlands. There the river—which in this stretch is called the Jinsha—
descends from a high elevation, winding its way south of the high Bayan Har
Mountains and forming a narrow valley up to 2 miles (3 km) in depth.
Individual mountain peaks exceed elevations of 16,000 feet (4,900 metres)
above sea level and are crowned with glaciers and perpetual snow. The steep,
rocky slopes are cut with gorges and deep valleys. For several hundred
miles the Yangtze flows in a southeasterly direction, before turning south
to flow downward in rushing rapids. For a considerable distance the river
flows through passes that are so steep that no room is left even for a
narrow path. Villages, which are rarely found, are located high above the
river. In this region the Yangtze runs close and parallel to both the Mekong
and Salween rivers; all three rivers are within 15 to 30 miles (25 to 50 km
) of one another and continue to flow in mutual proximity for a distance of
more than 250 miles (400 km).
North of latitude 26° N these great rivers diverge, and the Yangtze turns
east to pass through a winding valley with steep slopes. The river receives
the waters of many tributaries, among which the Yalong River is the largest
and contributes the most water. The Yangtze then widens to between 1,000 and
1,300 feet (300 and 400 metres), reaching depths often exceeding 30 feet (9
metres). In narrower gorges the water width decreases by almost half, but
the depth increases sharply.
Near the end of the upstream part of its course, the Yangtze descends to an
elevation of 1,000 feet above sea level. Thus, over the first 1,600 miles (2
,600 km) of its length, the river has fallen more than 17,000 feet (5,200
metres), or an average of more than 10 feet per mile (2 metres per km) of
its course. In the mountains, however, there is a substantial stretch where
the fall of the river is considerably greater.
The middle course
The middle course of the Yangtze stretches for about 630 miles (1,010 km)
between the cities of Yibin in Sichuan province and Yichang in Hubei
province. The climate is characterized by hot summers and relatively mild
winters, as the high mountains to the west protect the region from the cold
north and west winds. Annual precipitation measures between 40 and 60 inches
(1,000 to 1,500 mm), a large part of it occurring in summer; the growing
season lasts for more than six months. In most of this segment, the river
crosses hilly Sichuan province, where the lower mountains and plateaus
connect the highlands of southwestern China with the Qin (Tsinling)
Mountains lying between the Yangtze and Huang He (Yellow River) basins.
Located in this area is Chongqing, a major industrial centre and river port.
The river’s width there is from about 1,000 to 1,600 feet (300 to 500
metres), and the depth in places exceeds 30 feet. The current is swift; the
banks often are high and steep. The river falls some 820 feet (250 metres)
in Sichuan, more than a foot per mile (0.2 metre per km) of flow.
As the Yangtze flows through eastern Sichuan and into western Hubei, it
traverses for a distance of 125 miles (200 km) the famous Three Gorges
region before debouching onto the plains to the east. The gorges have steep,
sheer slopes composed mainly of thick limestone rocks. Prior to the
completion of the Three Gorges Dam in 2006, they rose some 1,300 to 2,000
feet (400 to 600 metres) above the river, although with the creation of the
reservoir behind the dam their height has been diminished fairly
significantly. Nonetheless, they still present the appearance of fantastic
towers, pillars, or spears. Qutang, the first gorge—about 5 miles (8 km)
long—is the shortest; prior to its inundation, the river there was
considered the most dangerous for navigation, being extremely narrow with
many rapids and eddies. Wu, the second gorge, stretches for about 30 miles (
50 km); it is a narrow, steep corridor with almost vertical walls of heights
up to 1,600 or even 2,000 feet above the river. The last gorge, Xiling, is
located upstream of Yichang and extends for a distance of 21 miles; in
places limestone cliffs rise directly out of the water, although with the
rise of the reservoir to much lower heights than before. The gorges are
rocky, and the walls are speckled with cracks, niches, and indentations.
Even before the river was inundated, its depth in the gorges was
considerable, increasing to between 500 and 600 feet (150 and 180 metres)
and giving the Yangtze the greatest depths of any river in the world.
Xiling Gorge, in the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang)
, as it appeared before completion of the Three Gorges Dam, Hubei province,
China.
Xiling Gorge, in the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang)
, as it appeared before completion of the Three Gorges Dam, Hubei province,
China.
© Wolfgang Kaehler
The lower course
The lower part of the Yangtze basin is centred on the extensive lowland
plains of east-central China. The region experiences a temperate climate
with warm springs, hot summers, cool autumns, and relatively cold winters
for the latitude. Monsoons (seasonally changing winds) dominate the weather
of the region, and in the summer and autumn typhoons occur periodically. As
the Yangtze exits from the Three Gorges Dam, near Yichang, it enters a
complex system of lakes, marshes, and multiple river channels developed on
the plains of Hunan and Hubei provinces. This vast region, lying at
elevations below 165 feet (50 metres), has served as a natural flood-
regulation basin in recent geologic history. Three main tributaries (the
Yuan, Xiang, and Han rivers) and many smaller ones join the Yangtze in this
region, which also is where the current slows as the river reaches the plain
. Water levels fluctuate considerably between the flood and low-flow seasons
. In addition, the presence of a number of large lakes, including Dongting
Lake and Lakes Hong and Liangzi, also causes considerable fluctuations in
water volume. The total area of the lakes, at average water levels, is some
6,600 square miles (17,100 square km). The lakes are of national economic
significance, mainly as fisheries.
At the edge of the Lake Liangzi plain the Yangtze widens markedly, the
course of its stream wandering in the form of a large loop. The width of the
river is up to 2,600 feet (800 metres), the depth is more than 100 feet (30
metres), and the water current flows at a rate of about 3.5 feet (1 metre)
per second. The banks are built up for protection from floods. In the
southern part of the plain lies Dongting Lake, which once was the largest
freshwater lake in China but now has been reduced in area by silting and
land reclamation; it shares four tributaries and two canals with the Yangtze
, whose flow it serves to regulate. The surrounding area, agricultural and
studded with lakes, is China’s most important rice-producing region.
At the centre of the lakes region is the large metropolis of Wuhan. Situated
on the Yangtze near the mouth of the Han River, it was formed in 1950 by
the merger of the cities of Hanyang and Hankou on the left bank and Wuchang
on the right bank and has become one of China’s most important
metallurgical-industry centres and river ports. Farther east the Yangtze
flows into a narrowing, picturesque valley and then passes onto the plain of
Jiangxi province, which contains Lake Poyang, China’s largest natural
freshwater lake. The lake, with an average area of about 1,385 square miles
(3,585 square km), receives the Kan River tributary and, in turn, is linked
to the Yangtze by a wide tributary. The river then turns to the northeast,
passes through a widening valley, and flows out onto the southern North
China Plain. The width of the river increases at this point to between 3,000
and 6,000 feet (900 and 1,800 metres), and the depth in places approaches
100 feet. In this region there are a number of large cities, including
Anqing, Wuhu, and Nanjing. The Grand Canal (Da Yunhe), which, with a length
of nearly 1,100 miles (1,800 km), is one of the longest canals in the world;
it crosses the Yangtze in the vicinity of the city of Zhenjiang.
The Yangtze delta
The Yangtze delta, which begins beyond Zhenjiang, consists of a large number
of branches, tributaries, lakes, ancient riverbeds, and marshes that are
connected with the main channel. During major floods the delta area is
completely submerged. Lake Tai, with an area of about 930 square miles (2,
410 square km), is notable as the largest of the many lakes in the delta.
The width of the Yangtze in the delta, as far as the city of Jiangyin,
ranges from less than 1 mile to almost 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km); farther
downstream the channel gradually widens and becomes a large estuary, the
width of which exceeds 50 miles (80 km) near the mouth of the river. Major
cities in the delta include Wuxi, Suzhou, and, at the river’s mouth,
Shanghai.
Before emptying into the sea, the Yangtze divides into two arms that drain
independently into the East China Sea. The left branch has a width of about
3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 km), the right branch of 6 to 15 miles (10 to 25 km).
Between the branches is situated Chongming Island, which was formed over the
centuries by the deposit of alluvium at the mouth of the Yangtze. The depth
of the river in places approaches 100 to 130 feet (30 to 40 metres) but
decreases to only several feet near the sea at the mouth of the river
because of the presence of sandbars.
The section of river from the mouth to 250 miles (400 km) upstream is
subject to the influence of tides. The maximum range of the tides near the
mouth is 13 to 15 feet (4 to 5 metres). The Yangtze delta is rich in mud and
silt and is dominated by fluvial and tidal processes.
The present-day bed of the Yangtze in this area is somewhat above the
elevation of the plain. Thus, to protect the surrounding region from
floodwaters, the banks of the main and other rivers are built up; the total
length of banks on the Yangtze on which levees have been constructed is
about 1,700 miles (2,740 km). Dams also have been built for flood protection
on the shores of several lakes; the Qingjiang Reservoir, for example, built
for this purpose near Dongting Lake, has a design capacity of 194 million
cubic feet (5.5 million cubic metres). The delta is protected from the sea
by two gigantic parallel banks that are faced with stone in most parts.
Geology
In its upper reaches the Yangtze River drains across the Plateau of Tibet,
which is still uplifting as the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide.
The bedrock comprises an assemblage of marine sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic rocks. Within intermontane basins, thick deposits of sediments
of Cenozoic age—i.e., less than about 65 million years old—overlie the
bedrock. The Yangtze descends abruptly from the Tibetan Plateau to flow
across deeply eroded mountain plateaus consisting of Paleozoic and Mesozoic
rocks roughly 350 to 150 million years old. In its lower reaches, the
Yangtze River flows across basin fills of Cenozoic material that is about 65
to 25 million years old. These are the result of fluvial sedimentation as
the Yangtze has migrated across its lower basin throughout its Cenozoic
history.
Hydrology
The Yangtze basin is comparatively well irrigated; the average yearly
rainfall amounts to about 43 inches (1,100 mm). Most of the precipitation is
brought by the monsoon winds and falls primarily as rain in the summer
months. In the mountainous part of the basin the precipitation is mainly
snow. Floods, which result from the monsoon rains in the middle and lower
parts of the basin, usually begin in March or April and can occur at any
time during the next eight months. In May the water level decreases somewhat
but then sharply increases again, continuing to rise until August, when it
reaches its highest level. After that the water level gradually falls to the
premonsoon levels, the decrease continuing through the autumn and most of
the winter until February, when the lowest annual level is reached.
The annual range of water-level fluctuations is considerable—an average of
about 65 feet (20 metres)—with 26 to 35 feet (8 to 11 metres) during years
of low water. Downstream from the Three Gorges Dam the impact of the water-
level variation is lessened by the dam itself and by the regulating effect
of the lakes. In the delta tides exert the greatest influence on the water
level. Near the city of Wusong the daily tidal range is 15 feet (4.5 metres)
, and the yearly range is 20 feet (6 metres).
A breakdown of the water volume delivered to the mouth of the Yangtze shows
that the highland part of the basin contributes 10 percent of the flow,
while the remainder of the water in the river is contributed by the middle
and downstream parts of the basin, with runoff from the basins of Dongting
Lake and Lake Poyang being responsible for about two-fifths of the volume.
The Yangtze carries a tremendous volume of water. In the upstream areas the
average flow exceeds 70,000 cubic feet (1,980 cubic metres) per second,
which is more than the discharge rate of the second longest river in China,
the Huang He, at its mouth. After the inflow from the first large tributary
—the Yalong River—the volume in the Yangtze increases sharply, approaching
an average of 194,000 cubic feet (5,500 cubic metres) per second. Farther
downstream the Yangtze admits many tributaries, and the volume gradually
increases. Prior to the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, it reached 529,
000 cubic feet (15,000 cubic metres) per second at the end of the Three
Gorges area, 847,000 cubic feet (24,000 cubic metres) per second at Wuhan,
and some 1,100,000 cubic feet (31,100 cubic metres) per second at its mouth;
the total volume entering the sea annually was roughly 235 cubic miles (979
cubic km), ranking it third in volume of flow behind the Amazon and Congo
rivers. Those numbers have decreased somewhat since the completion of the
dam in 2006. The suspended sediment load at the mouth of the Yangtze is some
478 million tons per year, one of the highest sediment loads of any river
in the world.
During the seasonal rains the Yangtze widely floods the lower areas, and the
maximum volume of water entering the sea can be more than double the
average flow. Likewise, the flow decreases during the dry season, sometimes
to about one-fourth the average flow. In spite of the fact that the
discharge volume of the Yangtze vastly exceeds that of the Huang He, the
Yangtze is significantly less silty than the Huang He. This is because much
of the Huang He’s course is over the Loess Plateau with its easily erodible
loess (wind-deposited soil), whereas the Yangtze flows over little loess,
and its floodplains are more vegetated and less erodible. In the mountainous
part of the basin, particularly in the Plateau of Tibet, the waters of the
Yangtze contain little silt.
Downstream, however, the waters become muddy and acquire a coffee colour. It
is estimated that the Yangtze annually carries between 280 million and 300
million tons of alluvium to its mouth, depositing an estimated 150 million
to 200 million tons on the river bottom in addition. Thus, the total amount
of suspended material carried or deposited is between 430 million and 500
million tons per year, one of the highest sediment loads of any river in the
world. As a result of the depositing of alluvium at the river’s mouth, the
delta extends into the sea an average of one mile every hundred years.
During the period of monsoon rains, the Yangtze and its tributaries formerly
spilled over, creating extensive floods. If the floods in the main channel
coincided with flooding in one or more of the major tributaries, powerful,
destructive flood waves could result, an occurrence that happened repeatedly
in the history of China. One of the major objectives of the Three Gorges
project was to control such flooding by the river.
When flooding occurs, it frequently results from the deposit of silt in the
bed of the Yangtze. Upon leaving the mountains and entering the plain, the
current in the Yangtze sharply decreases, and thus the flow cannot continue
to carry the entire amount of silt. As a result, a significant portion is
deposited in the bed, causing the bottom to rise. A similar situation occurs
in many of the Yangtze’s tributaries. Flooding thus presents a great
danger to the inhabitants of the adjacent plains.
Human adaptation to and utilization of the plains of the Yangtze valley have
evolved in the context of such floods. Among the legends and myths handed
down from the earliest historical times are accounts of floods that
submerged vast areas. These are said to have turned the plains into inland
seas, with water remaining in the lowest places for many years at a time.
Catastrophic floods have occurred throughout recorded history. During the
period from 206 BCE to 1960 CE, China experienced more than 1,030 major
floods. Especially extensive flooding has occurred on the Yangtze more than
50 times and on the tributary Han River more than 30 times. On the average,
the Yangtze basin has been the scene of catastrophic flooding every 50 to 55
years.
Widespread flooding also may take place at shorter intervals. This has been
the case since the mid-19th century, as the Yangtze basin has flooded in
1870, 1896, 1931, 1949, and 1954. Of these, the 1931 and 1954 floods were
national disasters. The 1931 flood resulted from heavy, continuous monsoon
rains that covered most of the middle and lower parts of the basin. During
May and June, six huge flood waves swept down the river, destroying the
protecting dams and levees in two dozen places and flooding more than 35,000
square miles (90,000 square km) of land; 40 million people were rendered
homeless or otherwise suffered. Many population centres, including Nanjing
and the Wuhan conurbation, were underwater. In Wuhan the water remained for
more than four months, the depth exceeding 6 feet (1.8 metres) and in places
more than 20 feet (6 metres). In the summer of 1954 another powerful flood
occurred, again the result of continued monsoon rains. The water level
sharply increased and at times exceeded the 1931 flood levels by almost 5
feet (1.5 metres). Effective flood-control measures developed since the
1930s, however, averted many of the potential consequences of the flood.
People
The Yangtze basin contains a significant portion of China’s population, but
distribution is uneven. The highland area of the river’s upper reaches is
among the most sparsely settled regions in China, while the Yangtze delta
has the country’s highest population density. Outside the delta the
greatest concentrations of people are in the plains that adjoin the banks of
the river and its tributaries in the middle and lower basins, especially in
the vicinity of the cities of Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, and Nanjing. These
cities are among the largest in China, and Shanghai is the country’s most
populous.
In the highlands of the upper basin, the population consists mainly of
ethnic Tibetans engaged in traditional animal husbandry and the cultivation
of such hardy grains as barley and rye. The population of the Yunnan-Guizhou
Plateau is a mixture of Chinese (Han) agriculturalists and numerous ethnic
minorities who combine some farming with herding and hunting. The population
of the middle and lower basins becomes progressively more Chinese, although
, especially in the middle basin, many other national minorities are
represented.
Economy
The economy of much of the Yangtze basin is focused largely on agricultural
production, although inland cities such as Wuhan and Chongqing and the
coastal region centred on Shanghai are among China’s most important
industrial centres. The lower basin and the delta are among the most
economically developed areas in the country. Mineral resources include
reserves of iron ore near Wuhan and Nanjing and such deposits as coal,
copper, phosphorus, gold, oil, and natural gas in Sichuan province.
Agriculture
The Yangtze basin contributes nearly half of China’s crop production,
including more than two-thirds of the total volume of rice. Among the other
crops grown are cotton, wheat, barley, corn (maize), beans, and hemp. Of
note is eastern Sichuan province, which its people call the “Land of Plenty
.” The soil there is extremely fertile, and the climatic conditions are
highly favourable to agriculture. The mild climate also facilitates
sericulture, the production of raw silk by raising silkworms. Cultivation is
most intensive, however, in the lower basin and delta, where the natural
conditions are exceptionally favourable: the growing period ranges from 8 to
11 months, and in some areas two or three crops can be harvested annually.
The extensive territory under cultivation in the Yangtze basin—especially
for rice—requires man-made irrigation facilities. Even in the areas of
highest precipitation, severe droughts are experienced, resulting in crop
losses. This is explained by the extremely irregular distribution of
precipitation over the course of the year, with 60 to 80 percent falling in
the summer. Rainless periods sometimes last for six to eight weeks.
Irrigation has existed in the Yangtze basin since ancient times, but many
modern irrigation projects have been undertaken, the largest being the Three
Gorges project.
Fisheries
The Yangtze River and its associated tributaries and lakes abound with fish.
The fishing trade is widely developed and is a major livelihood for much of
the population of the region. Hundreds of species are found in Chinese
rivers, the majority of which inhabit the Yangtze and its tributaries. Some
30 species are of economic significance, especially carp, bream, Chinese
perch, gapers (a species of large burrowing clam), and lamprey; the most
valuable economically are white and black amur (large members of the carp
family), flatfish, and spotted flatfish. Sturgeon also are important, the
gorges being a favourite spawning area. Farther downstream great amounts of
roe can be found, and these are collected and distributed throughout the
country for artificial cultivation. The artificial cultivation of fish for
trade involves mainly white and black amur, flatfish, and carp.
Navigation
The Yangtze is the principal navigable waterway of China. Along the river
for 1,700 miles (2,700 km) there is intensive cargo and passenger traffic.
The river serves as a continuation of the sea routes, binding the inland and
coastal ports together with other major cities into a transportation
network in which Nanjing, Wuhan, and Chongqing play the leading roles.
Motorized junks, other powered vessels, and a small number of sail craft are
widely used for transporting cargo. Because of the ship locks at the Three
Gorges Dam, large ships of up to 10,000 tons can travel as far upriver as
Chongqing. Water routes in the Yangtze basin total about 35,000 miles (56,
300 km). The Yangtze is joined to navigable stretches of the Huang He and
the Huai, Wei, and Hai rivers by the Grand Canal, which is further connected
with the seaports of Hangzhou and Tianjin.
Of the several projects undertaken since the 1950s to improve navigation
through the gorges region, none has matched the massive Three Gorges Dam
project. Large projects have been undertaken to strengthen and enlarge the
levee system. In addition, bridges have been built across the Yangtze at
Wuhan, Chongqing, Nanjing, and other cities, improving north-south transport
links and reducing dependence on ferries.
Hydroelectric power
The resources for the production of energy from the Yangtze are enormous,
although they have not been developed to a large extent. The total potential
power is estimated to be more than 200 million kilowatts, representing
about two-fifths of the total energy potential of all the rivers of China.
Until the Three Gorges Dam project got under way, the most ambitious project
completed was the Gezhouba hydroelectric dam above Yichang, which was the
first structure to block the flow of the Yangtze. Gezhouba was superseded by
the massive Three Gorges Dam project. At the time of the Three Gorges Dam’
s completion in 2006, it was the largest dam structure in the world. It
blocks the Yangtze to create a reservoir that submerged large areas of the
Qutang, Wu, and Xiling gorges for some 375 miles (600 km) upstream. The
hydroelectric component of the project, which became fully operational in
2012, has the capacity to generate approximately 22,500 megawatts of
hydroelectric power. Many tributaries of the Yangtze that have significant
fall and volume—such as the Yalong, Min, and Jialing rivers—and other
rivers that are tributaries of Dongting Lake and Lake Poyang also have
considerable potential.
Human impact on the environment
Environmental degradation in the Yangtze basin has accelerated with
increased economic development since 1950. Pollution levels have risen in
the rivers and lakes, soil erosion in the middle and upper basins caused by
overgrazing and the overcutting of trees has increased silt loads, and land
reclamation has reduced surface areas of lakes and wetlands. However,
nothing has had a greater impact than the Three Gorges project. One of the
greatest objections critics of the project have made is that it floods an
area that is one of the most scenically beautiful in China. Another concern
has been that the changes made to the Yangtze’s regime could adversely
affect several endangered animal species inhabiting the basin, including the
Chinese alligator, the finless porpoise, and the Chinese sturgeon. In
addition, numerous towns and cities have been inundated by the reservoir,
forcing the relocation of some one million people. It is also argued that
the buildup of sediment will cause reservoir levels to rise too high to
contain floods and that the area—which is highly active seismically and
frequently is prone to landslides—could be at increased risk for
catastrophic dam failure. Furthermore, it is feared that the waters
downstream from the dam, now largely free of their silt burden, will tend to
erode surrounding banks rather than build them up and may cause much land
degradation.
History
The Yangtze River basin is one of the longest-inhabited regions in China.
Although much of China’s political history has centred around North China
and the Huang He basin, the Yangtze region always was of great economic
importance to successive dynasties for its agricultural potential. The Grand
Canal was built in order to transport grain from the Yangtze basin to the
great northern capital cities; it is possible that the southernmost portion
of the canal was in use as early as the 4th century BCE, and much of it was
constructed in the 7th century CE.
Over the course of time the Yangtze has served as both a political and a
cultural boundary. The river now demarcates the provinces constituting South
China. The Yangtze also was the focus of many of the imperialist incursions
into China in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, with
Shanghai at the river’s mouth becoming the main foreign commercial base.
Since 1950 the river and its basin have been the focus of much of China’s
economic modernization.
Aleksandr Pavlovich Muranov
Charles E. Greer
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica |
