The Longest Rivers in Asia

In all ages, rivers play an essential role in human activities, such as transportation, agriculture, daily water usage, and industrial purposes. Moreover, rivers are also important parts of the tourism. Here we'll introduce the 3 longest rivers in Asia to you, including the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Mekong River.

Yangtze River

Length: 6,300 km
Country: China

Three Gorges Dam

Yangtze River, or Changjiang River, is known as the longest river in Aisa, with a total length of about 6,300 km. It is also the third-longest river in the world, and the world's longest to flow entirely within only one country, flowing through 11 provincial-level administrative regions in China.

Yangtze River originates from the Tanggula Mountains on the Tibetan Plateau, and flows to the East China Sea in a generally easterly direction. The watershed area is 1.8 million square kilometers, accounting for about 1/5 of the total land area of China. The Yangtze River is significant for Chinese people in various fields, no matter for the development of history, culture, agriculture, transportation, or economy.

The Yangtze River flows through a wide array of ecosystems, with all kinds of creatures living in the river. It is habitat to the Chinese alligator, the narrow-ridged finless porpoise and the Yangtze sturgeon, etc., which are endemic and threatened species. Besides, the area along the Yangtze River is inhabited by many rare species like giant pandas and snow leopards.

Speaking of tourism, lots of visitors are attracted by the Three Gorges, which is regarded as one of the name cards of China. It will be an unforgettable experience to take a Yangtze River Cruise when traveling in China. For the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river, it is crucial to the development of China, and it is considered to be the world's largest hydro-electric power station.

Best China wtih Yangtze River Tour Recommended to You

11 Days Best China wtih Yangtze River

Beijing, Xi'an, Chongqing, Yangtze River, Yichang, Shanghai

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Yellow River

Length: 5,464 km
Country: China

Yellow River

Yellow River, Huang He in Chinese, originates in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai province of China, flowing through 9 provinces and empties into the Bohai Sea in Shandong province. With a total length of 5,464 km, it is Asia's second-longest river and the world's sixth-longest river.

The middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River consist of mountains, while the middle and lower reaches of the river are dominated by plains and hills. Do you know that the Yellow River is also known as the river with the most sand content in the world? Actually, the Yellow River entrains a lot of sediment, because the middle section of the river flows through a vast and dry area like the Loess Plateau region of China, where the silt is absorbed.

On the other side, the high concentration of sediments and the large population living by the river make it an attractive environment for wildlife. The formation of alluvial plain is conducive to planting as well.

As the mother river of China, Yellow River is thought to be the cradle of ancient Chinese civilization, nurturing the long and splendid history and culture of China. In ancient times, the massive Yellow River basin was the most prosperous region in Chinese history.

Mekong River

Length: 4,909 km
Country: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam

Golden Triangle

Mekong River, originates from the northeast slope of Tanggula Mountain in China, is the most critical transnational water system in Asia. The section in China is called Lancang Jiang or Lan-ts'ang Chiang, and the part of the river that flows into the Indochina Peninsula is called the Mekong River. It flows through many Asian countries, such as China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and finally empties into the South China Sea in Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam.

Due to the great changes in the flow of the Mekong during the dry and rainy seasons, and the mainstream with many torrents and waterfalls, the navigation capacity of the Mekong River is inadequate. The Mekong River is navigable for only 550 kilometers downstream. But it's still an essential trade route for China and countries in Southeast Asia.