The Yangtze River, known in China as Chang Jiang (“Long River”), stretches for more than 6,000 kilometers, making it the longest and most important river in China and the third longest in the world after the Amazon and the Nile.
The Yangtze River, which flows from Tibet in the west to Shanghai in the east through eight provinces, has been China’s main transportation route for over 2,000 years (some 2,700 kilometers are navigable). Its vast catchment area, with its 700 tributaries, covers roughly one-fifth of the country’s total area and includes a quarter of its agricultural land.
While the river’s length allows it to be visited at a variety of locations throughout China, the most popular for tourists is the stunning Three Gorges – Qutang, Wu, and Xiling – a 200-kilometer stretch between the towns of Fengjie and Yichang. The river winds its way through the gorges and their rugged cliffs and high mountain peaks in a time of scenery as dramatic as the Grand Canyon, in places a mix of raging torrents and dangerous shallows.
Although the traditional way of life along the river is vanishing, the Yangtze River is the best witness to ancient China. Thanks to the river’s stunning natural landscape and historical monuments, you may enjoy its magnificent vistas and learn about the local culture of that time period.
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