The Yangtze River

The Yangtze River

The Yangtze River is the longest river in China and the third-longest in the world. Its mainstem spans nearly 6,400 ki- lometers. Its drainage basin, covering approximately one-fifth of China's total land area, flows through the southern part of the country. Originating from the Tanggula Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the river flows through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Hengduan Mountains, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the Sichuan Basin, and the Yangtze Plain before even- tually emptying into the East China Sea. The river's mainstem is navigable for over 2,800 kilometers, earning it the name "golden waterway". With over 2,200 tributaries, the river system is elaborate, and the total area of its lakes accounts for about one-fifth of China's total lake area.

The Yangtze River basin is considered one of the cradles of Chinese civilization, home to numerous Neolithic cultural sites such as Daxi, Shijiahe, Hemudu, and Liangzhu. The middle reaches of the Yangtze River are considered the birthplace of rice cultivation. Starting from the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 B.C.), Bashu, Jingchu, and Wuyue in the Yangtze River basin witnessed accelerated human flourishing, with Jingchu being on par with the Central Plains in the Yellow River basin. After the mid-Tang Dynasty (618-907), China's economic and cultural center gradually shifted southward, and the Yangtze River basin gradually surpassed the Yellow River basin in many aspects, including agriculture, handicrafts, culture, art, talent cultivation, making significant contributions to the development of Chinese civilization. With the rise of the Maritime Silk Road, the Yangtze River basin played an increasingly important role in cultural exchanges and trade with foreign countries. It continues to be at the forefront of China's opening-up to the outside world.

长江

长江是中国第一大河、世界第三长河，位于中国南方，流域面积约占中国陆地总面积的1/5，干流全长近6400千米。长江发源于青藏高原唐古拉山，干流先后流经青藏高原、横断山区、云贵高原、四川盆地、长江中下游平原，最后注入东海。干流通航里程达2800多千米，被称为"黄金水道"。长江水系发达，大小支流2200多条，形成的湖泊总面积约占中国湖泊总面积的1/5。

长江流域是中华文明的主要发源地之一，分布有大溪文化、石家河文化、河姆渡文化、良渚文化等大量新石器文化遗址。长江中游地区是公认的人类稻作文明的发祥地。自春秋时期开始，长江流域的巴蜀文化、荆楚文化、吴越文化迅速发展，特别是荆楚文化可以与黄河流域的中原文化并驾齐驱。唐代中期以后，中国的经济、文化重心逐步南移，长江流域在农业、手工业、文化、艺术、人才教育等诸多方面逐渐超越黄河流域，为中华文明绵延发展作出重要贡献。随着海上丝绸之路的兴起，长江流域在中外文化交流和贸易往来方面的作用日益重要，时至今日仍然是中国对外开放的重要前沿阵地。