Yangtze River

The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and one of the longest rivers in the world. It flows across central China from west to east. The river is about 6,300 kilometers long. It is called Chang Jiang in Chinese, which means "Long River." The Yangtze has been important to people living along its banks for thousands of years.

The Yangtze River begins in the Tibetan Plateau, a high region in western China. It starts from melting snow and glaciers. A glacier is a large, slow-moving mass of ice. From its source, the river flows through mountains, valleys, and plains. It finally reaches the East China Sea near the city of Shanghai.

Many large cities are located along the Yangtze River. These include Chongqing, Wuhan, and Shanghai. The river has served as a major transportation route. Boats and ships have carried people and goods along it. This helped connect different regions of China and supported trade between inland and coastal areas.

The land around the Yangtze River is well suited for farming. The river provides water for crops such as rice and wheat. Rice is especially important in the warmer, wetter regions of southern China. Seasonal floods sometimes occurred when the river overflowed its banks. Floods are large amounts of water covering land that is usually dry.

Several important structures have been built on the Yangtze River. The largest is the Three Gorges Dam. A dam is a barrier built to control water flow. The Three Gorges Dam helps manage flooding and generates electricity. It also changed the river’s flow and required the movement of many communities.

The Yangtze River is home to many plant and animal species. Some animals live only in this river system. Over time, pollution and heavy use affected water quality. Efforts have been made to protect the river and its wildlife. The Yangtze remains a central natural feature of China’s landscape.