1984 Trip on Yangzi - Chongqing to Shanghai

1. Yangzi River Map (Changjiang, Yangtse) - Course of the Yangzi River

The mighty Yangzi, or Changjiang, is the third longest river in the world. The Amazon is the longest followed by the Nile. The Yangzi at 3,916 miles is closest to the Mississippi. Among the Chinese the name Yangzi is not as commonly used as Changjiang -- simply, Long River. This waterway cuts through the heart of China, and is regarded by the Chinese as marking the division of their country into north and south, both geographically and culturally. The river rises in the far western part of China and flows through eight provinces before disgorging its waters into the Yellow Sea near Shanghai. Over 700 tributaries draining a further six provinces join the Yangzi along its course. The main tributaries are the Yalong, Min, Jialing, Wu, Yuan, Xiang, Han and the Gan. These eight tributaries add 17,930 cubic meters of water per second to the Yangzi. The rich Yangzi River Basin produces 40% of the nation's grain, including 70% of the rice, 33% of the cotton, 48% of the freshwater fish, and 40% of the total industrial output.