Minjiang River (Sichuan)
Encyclopedia
The Min River is a 735 kilometres (456.7 mi)-long river
in central Sichuan
province, China
. It is a tributary
of the upper Yangtze River
(Chang Jiang) which it joins at Yibin
(宜宾).
The Min River flows in the general southern direction. It starts in north-central Sichuan, where its basin is limited by the Qionglai Mountains
in the west and the Min Mountains
in the east. The river passes through the Longmen
Range and enters the plains of the Sichuan Basin
near Dujiangyan City
; in that area, the ancient Dujiangyan Irrigation System
(都江堰) and the modern Zipingpu
dam are located. The Giant Buddha
of Leshan
is built into the stone banks of the Min.
A survey by biologist Deng Qixiang found that only 16 of the 40 fish
species recorded in the 1950s are to be found today. The Sichuan Taimen, a protected species, has not been seen in one stretch of river, the Wenchuan, for an entire decade. http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/738-Quenching-China-s-thirst
The name should not be confused with the Min River (Fujian), which is written 闽江.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in central Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the upper Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
(Chang Jiang) which it joins at Yibin
Yibin
-Administrative divisions:-Economy:The city's industry focuses on electronics, food products, and power generation. It also produces paper, silk, and leather products...
(宜宾).
The Min River flows in the general southern direction. It starts in north-central Sichuan, where its basin is limited by the Qionglai Mountains
Qionglai Mountains
Qionglai Mountains is a mountain range in the Sichuan Province of China. It runs in the general north-south direction, and is located mostly within the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, in the north-central part of the province....
in the west and the Min Mountains
Min Mountains
Min Mountains or Minshan are a mountain range in central China. It runs in the general north-south direction through northern Sichuan and southernmost borderlands of Gansu...
in the east. The river passes through the Longmen
Longmen Mountains
The Longmen Mountains , also tautologically referred to in English-language publications as the Longmenshan Mountains, are a mountain range in Sichuan province in southwestern China.-Geography:...
Range and enters the plains of the Sichuan Basin
Sichuan basin
The Sichuan Basin is a lowland region in southwestern China. Despite its historical name, it is not only synonymous to Sichuan province, comprising its central and eastern portions as well as part of Chongqing Municipality...
near Dujiangyan City
Dujiangyan City
Dujiangyan is a county-level city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China. It has an area of 1208 square kilometers and a population of 600,000 in 2003....
; in that area, the ancient Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Dujiangyan is an irrigation infrastructure built in 256 BC during the Warring States Period of China by the Kingdom of Qin. It is located in the Min River in Sichuan province, China, near the capital Chengdu. It is still in use today to irrigate over 5,300 square kilometers of land in the region...
(都江堰) and the modern Zipingpu
Zipingpu
Zipingpu Dam is an embankment dam on the Min River near the city of Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province in southwest China. It consists of four generators with a total generating capacity of 760 MW...
dam are located. The Giant Buddha
Leshan Giant Buddha
The Leshan Giant Buddha was built during the Tang Dynasty . It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers...
of Leshan
Leshan
-Administrative divisions:-Transport:There is a passenger rail line that serves the Mianyang–Chengdu–Leshan inter-city area.The Chengdu-Leshan Highway with a total length of 160 kilometers, was finished on January 14th, 2000...
is built into the stone banks of the Min.
A survey by biologist Deng Qixiang found that only 16 of the 40 fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
species recorded in the 1950s are to be found today. The Sichuan Taimen, a protected species, has not been seen in one stretch of river, the Wenchuan, for an entire decade. http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/738-Quenching-China-s-thirst
The name should not be confused with the Min River (Fujian), which is written 闽江.