China abounds in rivers. More than 1,500 rivers each drain 1,000
sq km or larger areas. Most of the large rivers have their source
on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and drop greatly between source and
mouth. As a result, China is rich in water-power resources, leading
the world in hydropower potential, with reserves of 680 million
kw.
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China's rivers can be categorized as exterior and interior systems.
The catchment area of the exterior rivers that empty into the
oceans accounts for 64 percent of the country's total land area.
The Yangtze, Yellow, Heilong, Pearl, Liaohe, Haihe and Huaihe
rivers flow east, and empty into the Pacific Ocean. The
Yarlungzangbo River in Tibet, which flows first east and then south
into the Indian Ocean, boasts the Yarlungzangbo Grand Canyon, the
largest canyon in the world, 504.6 km long and 6,009 m deep. The
Ertix River flows north from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
to the Arctic Ocean. The catchment area of the interior rivers that
flow into inland lakes or disappear into deserts or salt marshes
makes up about 36 percent of China's total land area. Its 2,179 km
make the Tarim River in southern Xinjiang China's longest interior
river.
The Yangtze, 6,300 km long, is the largest river in China, and the
third largest in the world, next only to the Nile in Africa and the
Amazon in South America. Passing through high mountains and deep
valleys, the upper section of the Yangtze River is abundant in
water resources. Known as the "golden waterway," the Yangtze is a
transportation artery linking west and east, its navigation
benefiting from excellent natural channels. The middle and lower
Yangtze River areas have a warm and humid climate, plentiful
rainfall and fertile soil, making them important agricultural
regions. The Yellow River is the second largest river in China with
a length of 5,464 km. The Yellow River valley was one of the
birthplaces of ancient Chinese civilization. It has lush
pasturelands along its banks, flourishing agriculture and abundant
mineral deposits. The Heilong River is a large river in north China
with a total length of 4,350 km, of which, 3,101 km are in China.
The Pearl River (Zhujiang), 2,214 km long, is a large river in
south China. In addition to those bestowed by nature, China has a
famous man-made river - the Grand Canal, running from Beijing in
the north to Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province in the south. Work first
began on the Grand Canal as early as in the fifth century A.D. It
links five major rivers: the Haihe, Yellow, Huaihe, Yangtze and
Qiantang. With a total length of 1,801 km, the Grand Canal is the
longest as well as the oldest man-made waterway in the world.
China's territory includes numerous lakes, most of which are found
on the Middle-Lower Yangtze Plain and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Freshwater lakes such as Poyang, Dongting, Taihu, and Hongze mostly
lie in the former area, while in the latter are saltwater lakes,
such as Qinghai, Nam Co and Siling Co. Poyang Lake, in the north of
Jiangxi Province and with an area of 3,583 sq km, is the largest of
its kind. Qinghai Lake, in northeast Qinghai Province and with an
area of 4,583 sq km, is the largest one of its kind.