List of rivers of China facts for kids

China is a huge country with many amazing rivers! These rivers are super important for people, animals, and plants. They provide water for drinking, farming, and transportation. This article will take you on a journey to explore some of China's most important rivers, organized by where their waters end up – from the chilly Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast, all the way around to the Arctic Ocean.

Rivers Flowing into the Sea of Okhotsk

The Amur River basin, showing where its water flows.

The Sea of Okhotsk is in the far northeast of China. The main river here is the Heilong River, also known as the Amur River. It forms part of the border between China and Russia.

• Heilong River (Amur River)
  • The Songhua River is a big tributary of the Heilong River. It has many smaller rivers flowing into it, like the Nen River.
  • The Argun River is another important tributary. It also forms part of the border.

Rivers Flowing into the Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan is to the east of China.

• The Suifen River (also called Razdolnaya River in Russia) flows into this sea.
• The Tumen River is another river that flows into the Sea of Japan. It also forms part of the border between China, Russia, and North Korea.

Rivers Flowing into the Bohai Sea

The Bohai Sea is a large bay on the coast of northeastern China. Many important rivers empty into it.

The Liao River Basin.

• The Liao River is a major river in northeast China. It has several branches, including the Xiliao River and the Dongliao River.
• The Luan River is another significant river flowing into the Bohai Sea.
• The Hai River is a large river system that drains a big area of northern China, including the capital city, Beijing.
  • The Yongding River is a main branch of the Hai River.

The Yellow River Basin, showing its many branches.

• The Yellow River (Huang He) is China's second-longest river and is often called the "Mother River" of China. Its water is yellowish because it carries a lot of silt (fine soil). It flows through many provinces before reaching the Bohai Sea.
  • The Wei River is a very important tributary of the Yellow River.
  • The Fen River also joins the Yellow River.

Rivers Flowing into the Yellow Sea

The Yellow Sea is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula.

The Yalu River.

• The Yalu River forms part of the border between China and North Korea and flows into the Korea Bay, which is part of the Yellow Sea.
• The Huai River is a major river in central China. It used to flow directly into the Yellow Sea, but now much of its water is diverted through canals.

The Huai River basin.

• • The Hongze Lake is a large lake connected to the Huai River.
  • The Ying River is a significant tributary of the Huai River.

Rivers Flowing into the East China Sea

The East China Sea is to the east of China, south of the Yellow Sea. This region is home to China's longest river.

Lake Dongting and its connecting rivers in Hunan.

• The Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) is the longest river in China and the third-longest in the world! It flows for thousands of kilometers, passing through many important cities like Shanghai, Wuhan, and Chongqing. Its upper parts are known as the Jinsha River.
  • The Huangpu River flows through Shanghai and into the Yangtze.
  • The Grand Canal is an ancient, man-made waterway that connects the Yangtze River with other major rivers to the north.
  • Poyang Lake is China's largest freshwater lake and connects to the Yangtze.
    • The Gan River flows into Poyang Lake.
  • Lake Dongting is another large lake that connects to the Yangtze.
    • The Xiang River and Yuan River are major rivers that flow into Lake Dongting.
  • The Han River is a very important tributary of the Yangtze.
  • The Jialing River and Min River are large tributaries that join the Yangtze in Sichuan province.
  • The Wu River is another major tributary that flows through mountainous areas.
• The Qiantang River is famous for its tidal bore (a wave that travels up the river). It flows into Hangzhou Bay, which is part of the East China Sea.

Rivers Flowing into the Taiwan Strait

The Taiwan Strait is a narrow body of water separating mainland China from Taiwan.

• The Min River is a major river in Fujian province that flows into the Taiwan Strait.
• The Jiulong River is another important river in Fujian.

Rivers Flowing into the South China Sea

The South China Sea is a large sea to the south of China.

The Pearl River Basin.

• The Han River is a river in Guangdong province.
• The Pearl River (Zhu Jiang) is a huge river system in southern China. It's one of the busiest waterways in the world. It's formed by the joining of several major rivers.
  • The Dongjiang River is one of the main branches of the Pearl River.
  • The Beijiang River is another important branch.
  • The Xijiang River is the longest branch of the Pearl River.
    • The Gui River and Qian River are major tributaries of the Xijiang.
    • The Hongshui River (Red River) is a powerful river that flows into the Qian River.

The Red River watershed.

• The Yuan River (Red River) flows from China into Vietnam.

The Lancang (Mekong) River watershed.

• The Lancang River is the part of the Mekong River that flows through China. The Mekong is a very long river that flows through several countries in Southeast Asia.

Rivers from Hainan Island

Hainan Island is a large island off the southern coast of China.

Map of the Nandu River in Hainan Province.

• The Nandu River is the longest river on Hainan Island.
• The Wanquan River is another well-known river on the island.

Rivers Flowing into the Andaman Sea

The Andaman Sea is part of the Indian Ocean, located to the southwest of China.

The Nu (Salween) River.

• The Nu River is the part of the Salween River that flows through China. It's known for its deep gorges and beautiful scenery.
• The Daying River and Longchuan River are rivers that flow into the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, which then reaches the Andaman Sea.

Rivers Flowing into the Bay of Bengal

The Bay of Bengal is also part of the Indian Ocean, to the west of the Andaman Sea.

Map showing the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna river basins.

• The Yarlung Tsangpo River is a major river that starts in Tibet, China. It flows east, then turns south and becomes the Brahmaputra River in India and Bangladesh, eventually joining the Ganges River system that flows into the Bay of Bengal.
  • The Lhasa River flows through the city of Lhasa and joins the Yarlung Tsangpo.
  • The Nyang River is another tributary in Tibet.

Rivers Flowing into the Arabian Sea

The Arabian Sea is part of the Indian Ocean, to the west of India.

• The Sênggê Zangbo is the part of the Indus River that flows through China. The Indus River is one of the longest rivers in Asia and flows mainly through Pakistan.
  • The Langqên Zangbo is the part of the Sutlej River that flows through China. The Sutlej is a major tributary of the Indus.

Rivers Flowing into the Arctic Ocean

Yes, some rivers in China actually flow north towards the Arctic Ocean!

The Ob-Irtysh watershed.

• The Irtysh River starts in China and flows northwest into Kazakhstan and then Russia, where it joins the Ob River, which eventually reaches the Arctic Ocean.
  • The Burqin River is a tributary of the Irtysh River.

Endorheic Basins: Rivers That Don't Reach the Sea

Some rivers in China flow into lakes or dry up in deserts instead of reaching the ocean. These areas are called "endorheic basins." The water stays within the basin.

Dzungarian Basin

This basin is in northwestern China.

• The Ulungur River flows into Ulungur Lake.
• The Manas River flows into Manas Lake.

Ili Basin

This basin is shared with Kazakhstan.

• The Ili River flows into Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan.

Tarim Basin

This is a very large basin in western China, mostly covered by desert.

The Tarim Basin.

• The Tarim River is the main river here. It often dries up before reaching Lop Lake, a salt lake.
  • The Khotan River is a tributary of the Tarim River, famous for its jade. It's formed by the Karakash River (Black Jade River) and the Yurungkash River (White Jade River).
  • The Yarkand River is another important tributary.

Canals: Man-Made Waterways

China has a long history of building canals to connect rivers and help with transportation and irrigation.

• The Grand Canal of China is the longest artificial river in the world! It connects the Yellow River and Yangtze River, linking northern and southern China.
• The Lingqu Canal is an ancient canal that connects the Yangtze and Pearl River systems.

See also

• Geography of China
• List of rivers of Asia
• Lakes in China
• List of waterways in China

Images for kids

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  The Gan River and Poyang Lake in Jiangxi.

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  The Han River Basin in Hubei, Shaanxi, and Henan.

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  The Wu River in Guizhou.

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  The Jialing River Basin in Chongqing, Sichuan, and Gansu.

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  The Min River in central Sichuan.

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  The Yalong River in western Sichuan and southern Qinghai.

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  Map of West Qaidam.

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  Map of East Qaidam.

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  The Ili Basin.