The Yangtze River

长江 Chang Jiang

BY TIFFANY HONG

The Yangtze River also known as Chang Jiang (长江) meaning 'long river', is the longest River in Asia and the third longest river in the world at 6380 km. Its main source is from the glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and empties into the East China Sea in Shanghai. It also has several other sources including Yalong, Min, Tuo, Jialing, Han, Wu, Yuan, Zi, Xiang, Gan, Huangpu. It also flows through 11 provinces which are Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shanghai. Because of the warm climate and the rainy weather, the farmers were able to grow rice.

The Yangtze River has a history that dates back to 2 million years and is considered very important, especially in the evolution of the Chinese empire. The river also became the borders between tribes and kingdoms because the river was so difficult to cross. Because of this, the river also became a place of battle. It was where the battle of the Red Cliffs took place. Now, the land along the Yangtze River has become one of the most important and wealthiest land in China.