The Yangtze River

China · rivers · geography

Starts in the mountains. The Yangtze River begins at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains on the Tibetan Plateau, a cold and rocky place near the roof of the world.

World's third longest. At 3,875 miles long, the Yangtze is the longest river in China and the third-longest river on Earth, beaten only by the Nile and the Amazon.

Home to millions. Nearly one-third of all Chinese people, hundreds of millions of them, live in the Yangtze River basin and depend on it for water and food.

Flows east to sea. The river travels in a generally eastward direction for thousands of kilometers before emptying into the East China Sea, the final stop for its waters.

Massive water power. The Yangtze is the fifth-largest river in the world by the amount of water it carries, making it a giant water highway through the heart of China.