111 Chang Jiang River Facts: Trivia About China's Longest River!

Chang Jiang or the Yangtze River is the longest river in China and Asia.

The Yangtze River also holds the title for being the third-longest river in the world. The largest dam on the river, the Three Gorges Dam is a large hydropower project.

The Yangtze River goes through 10 provinces of China. Some of the large cities that this river crosses on its way are - Nanjing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Wuhan. The area surrounding the river can generate 20% of the country's GDP and the ecosystem is so rich in wildlife that it is home to hundreds of terrestrial and marine species.

Read on to know more Yangtze River facts and if you like this article, then also check out Chattahoochee River facts and Chenab River facts.

Fun Facts About Chang Jiang River

The Chang Jiang or Yangtze River is the largest river in China as well as Asia. Starting from the traffic on the river to the ancient history of the river, there are some fascinating facts surrounding it that can blow your mind.

The river has many names according to different places. In the Yangzhou region, the Lower Yangtze part is called the Yangzi Jiang or Yangzi River. This is where the English name of the river 'Yangtze' came from.

The river going through Chongqing Municipality and Sichuan is similarly known as the Chuan Jiang or the 'Sichuan river'. In Anhui, it's called the Wan Jiang river after the province's shorthand name 'wan'. In Hubei, the river is named the 'Jing River' after one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China, Jingzhou.

Even though the Qinling mountains-Huai river is the dividing line of North-South China geographically, the Yangtze River is also considered as a natural boundary between North China and South China.

The Yangtze River's drainage basin extends over 600 mi (965.6 km) from south to north and 2,000 mi (3,218.7 km) from east to west. This area covers around one-fifth of China's total landmass.

The first-ever big dam on the Yangtze River, the Gezhouba Dam was built 33 years ago, in 1988. The largest dam on the river, the construction of the Three Gorges Dam was completed not so long ago, in the year 2009. The dam is not only responsible for flood control, but also a large hydropower project.

Large civilizations have always been built up around large rivers. Scientists have discovered the earliest signs of life surrounding the Yangtze River basin dates back to around 27,000 years ago. This has puzzled scientists as to where the Chinese civilization and the Chinese people actually originated from.

The area where the Yangtze River flows through China's southwest region is China's densest area for different ethnic minorities. Over 30 among China's total 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities live in the Yangtze River basin.

The folk and the cultural customs of these ethnic minorities are quite diverse and the basin would be quite a good place if you want to discover the minority and ethnic cultures of China.

Geographical Facts About Chang Jiang River

The longest river of China and Asia, the Yangtze flows from the Tanggula Mountain's glacial meltwaters in Tibet. The river has gone on the journey for 3,915 mi (6,300 km) through Central China and empties near Shanghai city in the East China Sea.

The Yangtze River ranks third in the world as one of the longest rivers. You can see all kinds of natural wonders starting from hills, plateau, plains, basins, mountain land, and more along with the steam of the river.

The Jiangnan hilly regions, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the middle-lower Yangtze plains, Sichuan basin, and Hengduan Mountains are only a few of the beautiful landscapes that you can witness following the river. The river passes through a total of 10 provinces in China - Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Qinghai, Shanghai, Anhui, Hunan, Yunnan, and Tibet.

The river crosses through some of the largest and major cities throughout China. Some of these major cities are Nanjing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Wuhan.

The journey of the river begins from the glacial meltwaters in Tibet's Tanggula Mountains. The upper course of the Yangtze River flows through the Plateau of Tibet and then descends in deep valleys in the plateau's east mountains as it emerges at the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.

The upstream of the river starts from its source, Tanggula Mountains to the Yichang City of the Hubei Province. The currents at this part of the stream are quite dangerous.

The midstream part starts from Yichang to the Hukou County of the Jiangxi Province. The midstream forms many tributaries along with a lot of lakes in its journey through the country.

The downstream of the river starts from the Hukou County and ends as the river empties near the Shanghai City in the East China Sea. The Chongming Island is located in the estuary of this wide river.

The climate on the south side of the river is comparatively humid with more rain and warmer temperatures. The main grain of the region is rice, so their preferred foods are rice-based ones.

The climate of the north side of the river is dry with little rain and low temperatures. The main grain of the region is wheat, so their primarily preferred foods are wheat-based ones. Based on the climates and the lifestyle, the southerners are more gentle and moderate in nature while the northerners are more forthright.

Economical Facts About Chang Jiang River

The Yangtze is the busiest river in the world. Transport barges, ferries, and cruise ships crisscross the river all throughout the day. The Yangtze Delta that has developed depending on the river generates the third-largest GDP in the world.

The river has provided a safe place for many civilizations throughout history. For thousands of years, people living along the banks of the river have used the water for boundary-marking, transportation, irrigation, war, sanitation, drinking, and more.

In modern times, the Yangtze Delta or the Yangtze River Delta is actually a triangle-shaped megalopolis that has developed surrounding the Yangtze River. The area mainly consists of northern Zhejiang, southern Jiangsu, and Shanghai, mainly the homes of Wu Chinese-speaking people.

The area falls at the south of the river in the heart of the Jiangnan region where the river drains into the East China Sea.

Owing to the river, the soil surrounding the area is very fertile. That's why hemp, grains, tea, and cotton can be seen being produced abundantly throughout the area.

The Yangtze Delta generates one-fifth GDP of the entire China. In fact, the area had a GDP of $2.2 trillion USD in 2018, which was around the same size as Italy.

The Yangtze River basin produces a major part of China's grains. That's why this grain-producing region is considered China's great granary.

Agriculture contributes to most of the main economy of the Yangtze River Basin. 70% of the grains in this region consist of rice and the total amount is so large that it can feed half of the country's population. Some other crops that can be found abundantly produced here are maize, beans, and cotton.

Facts About Chang Jiang River's Ecosystem

The ecosystem of the Yangtze River is rich in wildlife. The river itself holds hundreds of marine species while the plains, forests, and mountains around the river are house to hundred more terrestrial species. However, the pollution in the rivers is causing damage.

The river makes a home for hundreds of different and beautiful, unique species of animals. Starting from the giant panda which can only be found in the forests of the upper parts of the Yangtze River.

The Yangtze finless porpoises are exclusively found in the lower and middle parts of the Yangtze River. However, the population of the porpoises is quite small, smaller than the population of the giant pandas.

There are some more beautiful species that can be seen along the river, like the pheasants of many colors, snow leopards, Siberian cranes, and more.

95% of the total Siberian crane population and other birds migrate in the lakes made by the river. Additionally, the river is known to be the habitat of 145 species of amphibians, 378 species of fish, 166 species of reptiles, and over 280 species of mammals.

These species are in danger of the pollution the river is facing from an array of sources.

As the economy of the country develops, the fishing, pig farming, and other chemical-using industries are causing harm to the river.

Dams disrupt and divert the river's natural flow which ultimately harms the people and wildlife living by depending upon the river and over 50,000 dams including the Three Gorges Dam have been made since the 1950s in the Yangtze basin. Hence, it has become the most polluted river in the world.

That's why many plants and animal species are suffering from pollution as they are becoming endangered and extinct as time goes on.

Some examples of such casualties are the Chinese Paddlefish, the Finless Porpoise, and the Chinese Alligator which have become Endangered, and the Yangtze River dolphin that has become extinct as this dolphin species has not been seen since the year 2002.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 111 Chang Jiang River facts: trivia about China's longest river? then why not take a look at Chicago River facts or Chattahoochee River facts?