What Is the Yellow River?
(A tributary in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, flowing through the Zoigê Basin, photographer: Chen Ergou's Motorcycle Journey)
(Yellow River in Shanxi-Shaanxi, photographer: Xu Zhaochao)
(Yellow River in Kaifeng, photographer: Wu Yidan)
(Longyangxia Grand Canyon, photographer: Li Heng)
(Zhongshan Iron Bridge over the Yellow River in Lanzhou, photographer: Li Qiong)
(The following text is from Guang Weiran's "Yellow River Cantata," Movement 7: "Defend the Yellow River")
Defend North China! Defend all of China!
Thus shaping an ever-flowing nation
The collision of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate
Not only created China's overall terrain of high west and low east
But also caused deformation within the landmass
Coupled with the influence of the Pacific Plate
(Distribution of ancient basins in northern China; note that different sources may use varying names for these ancient lake basins, map by Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
Further uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the Loess Plateau
Made China's west-high, east-low terrain even more pronounced
Then began mutual erosion and capture
(Yellow River in Baiyin, Gansu, photographer: Wang Shenghui)
(Yinchuan Basin, photographer: Chen Jianfeng)
(Hongshan Gorge, photographer: Wang Shenghui)
Eroding northward along the Loess Plateau all the way
Today, it divides the two provinces of Shaanxi and Shanxi
(The Jin-Shaan Yellow River, stretching from Togtoh in Inner Mongolia in the north to Yumenkou in the south, currently 725 km long, photographer: Chen Xiao)
One of its branches first cut through the Xiao Mountains
Connecting the Fenwei Basin and the North China Plain
(Balixia, the last gorge in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, photographer: Deng Guohui)
(Illustration of the Yellow River passing through Sanmenxia, mapped by Wang Shenwen & Chen Jingyi/Planet Research Institute)
A river traversing China's Loess Plateau and the North China Plain
(The Yellow River estuary, photographer: Zhao Bin)
Because its length was only about 3/5 of what it is today
(The Yellow River in Ningxia running parallel to the Tengger Desert, photographer: Chen Jianfeng)
A river of extraordinary length and mighty currents
Between the Xunhua Basin in Qinghai and the Linxia Basin in Gansu
The original upper reaches of the Yellow River flowing through the Linxia Basin
(Jishixia, photographer: Wang Shenghui)
Overcoming numerous obstacles along the way
Songbaxia, Ashigongxia, Longyangxia
Laganxia, Yehuxia, Lajiaxia, and other gorges
(Longyangxia Grand Canyon, photographer: Sun Jianxin)
Xinghai-Tongde Basin, Ruoergai Basin
(Please view horizontally, Longyangxia Reservoir, located in the Gonghe Basin, photographer: Sun Jianxin)
(Ngoring Lake, with the Bayan Har Mountains in the distance, photographer@Qiu Menghan)
(Please view horizontally. The modern Yellow River water system pattern. Throughout history, the lower reaches of the Yellow River have changed course multiple times. The image shows the current river channel; mapping by@Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
After more than 1.2 million years of effort
(Gangnagma Co in the source region of the Yellow River, photographer@Jiang Chenming)
Qiemu Qu, Heihe, Baihe, Jiaqu, and others
(Please view horizontally, Jiaqu, photographer@Li Weinan)
Increased the water yield in the basin above Jishi Gorge
Supplemented by rivers such as Huangshui and Taohe
Its runoff accounts for 61.7% of the entire river
(Confluence of the Taohe and Yellow River, photographer@Li Junbo)
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average elevation exceeding 4,000 meters
Became the primary catchment area of the Yellow River
(From Li Bai's poem "Bring in the Wine")
The waters of the Yellow River flow from heaven, rushing to the sea never to return
(Please view horizontally. The image shows the first major bend of the Yellow River around the Anyê Maqên Mountains, whose glacial meltwater mainly feeds into the Yellow River, photographer@Xing Ying Bu Li)
(Jin-Shaan Grand Canyon, photographer@Xu Zhaochao)
(Over the past few thousand years, Hukou Waterfall has retreated about 5 km from Mengmen Mountain, leaving behind river terraces known as the "Ten-Mile Dragon Trough," photographer@Li Shunwu)
(Zoigê Marsh, photographer@Xiong Ke)
The ancient Sanmen Lake in the Fen-Wei Basin largely disappeared
The remnants evolved into today's
(Yuncheng Salt Lake, photographer @ Zhao Gaoxiang)
Zhongwei Plain, Yinchuan Plain, Hetao Plain
(Weihe Plain, photographer @ Wei Wei)
(North China Plain, image source @ Visual China Group)
The Yellow River became a spatial bond
connecting the most extensive sedimentary plains together
(Distribution of major plains in the Yellow River Basin, map by @ Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
Most of them are located in warm climatic zones
This undoubtedly provided favorable conditions for human development during the agricultural era
including the Weihe Plain, Fenhe Plain, and Yiluo River Plain
as well as the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains and Songshan Mountains
cultivating millet and broomcorn millet that required only sowing without special care
to yield harvests
(Photo shows farmland in Shaanxi's Weihe Plain, where millet has been replaced by wheat, photographer @ Shehu)
(Yaodong cave dwellings in Sanyuan County, Xianyang, Shaanxi, photographer @ Wang Jing)
(6000-5500 years ago)
The red-and-black bichrome pottery was vividly colored
with abstract geometric patterns swirling rhythmically
(Miaodigou culture pottery basin with petal patterns, image source @ Huitu)
stretching south to the Yangtze River Basin and north to the Mongolia-Liaoning region
Demonstrates the strong radiating influence of the Miaodigou Culture
It can be said to be a grand cultural integration in prehistoric China
(The influence range of the Miaodigou Culture, represented by painted pottery, mapped by Wang Shenwen & Chen Jingyi/Planet Research Institute)
People extensively built defensive cities
(The Shuanghuishu Site in Gongyi, Henan, located on a terrace southeast of the confluence of the Luo River and the Yellow River, is a 5,300-year-old central settlement with capital characteristics. Some scholars suggest naming it the "Heluo Ancient Kingdom," photographer: Shi Yaochen)
Entering the Gan-Qing region in the upper reaches of the Yellow River
They inherited the essence of the Miaodigou painted pottery techniques
The unearthed painted pottery is almost entirely covered with designs
Truly "surpassing the master"
(Painted pottery of the Majiayao Culture, photographer: Yang Hu)
Then influenced the areas distributed along the southern foothills of the Yin Mountains-Daqing Mountains
(Daqing Mountains and the Yellow River, with numerous ancient sites distributed along the southern foothills of Daqing Mountains, photographer: Chen Jianfeng)
And evolved into the famous Longshan Culture
Unearthed at the Chengziya Site of Longshan in Zhangqiu, Jinan
Its craftsmanship surpasses that of "modern cups"
(Black pottery high-stemmed cup of the Longshan Culture, photographer: Zhai Dongrun)
To better support agricultural production
(The Taosi Observatory, currently the earliest discovered observatory ruins, consists of 13 rammed-earth pillars arranged in a semicircle. By observing the sunrise direction over Mount Ta'er through the gaps between the pillars, seasons and solar terms could be determined to arrange farming. The image shows a restored scene, source: Visual China Group)
Resembling pictographic characters similar to later oracle bone script
(One of the Zhu-script writings from Taosi, the character on the pottery is currently interpreted as "wen," photographer: Wang Ning)
Between 5300 and 4000 years ago
the Liangzhu culture in the lower Yangtze River and the Shijiahe culture in the middle Yangtze River
were no less advanced than those in the Yellow River basin
(Liangzhu jade cong, photographer @ Su Lihuan)
(Distribution map of late Neolithic archaeological cultures in China, designed by @ Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
What could be so special about the Yellow River basin?
Around 4200 to 4000 years ago
a global cooling event occurred
leading to intensified droughts in the northeast and northwest regions
and increased rainfall and flooding in North China and the Jiangnan region
creating a situation of "floods in the south and droughts in the north"
(Illustration of the southward retreat of the summer monsoon, designed by @ Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
The Laohushan culture in Inner Mongolia
the Liangzhu and Shijiahe cultures in the Yangtze River basin
and the Longshan culture in Shandong, among other prehistoric cultures
were either destroyed by drought or hindered by floods
The middle Yellow River region encompassing Guanzhong, southern Shanxi, and western Henan
stood out due to its inherent advantages
transitioning from "a sky full of stars" to "a moon with sparse stars"
(The above viewpoint was first proposed by the renowned archaeologist Su Bingqi. Around 4000 years ago, the decline of many cultures was attributed to various factors, including population, society, economy, religion, and environmental changes, with environmental changes likely being a major trigger. Designed by @ Wang Shenwen & Chen Jingyi/Planet Research Institute)
Not as arid as regions like the Northwest and Inner Mongolia
Nor as severely affected by floods as the southern areas
Here, piedmont terraces and alluvial fans are widely developed
Preventing complete submersion during floods
Like a real-life "Noah's Ark"
And capable of self-rescue by dredging water systems
(Terraces on the south bank of the Yellow River at Taohuayu, photographer @Jiao Xiaoxiang)
Not only was the regional environment quickly restored
But also established in the middle reaches of the Yellow River
(Rubbing of stone carvings from the Eastern Han Dynasty Wu Family Tombs in Jiaxiang, Shandong)
The vast plain provided ample space and resources for development
The Huaxia civilization began to grow stronger
(Erlitou palace ruins, with the modern Luo River in the image. Before the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Luo River flowed south of the Erlitou site, photographer @Ding Junhao)
(Please view horizontally, Zhengzhou Shang City ruins, speculated to be one of the early Shang Dynasty capitals, covering 13 million m². Aerial photo of the inner city wall, photographer @Shi Yaochen)
"Technology" and "culture" continuously blended and innovated
(Bronze jue with nipple patterns, unearthed at the Erlitou site, one of the earliest intact bronze ritual wine vessels discovered in China, photographer @Li Wenbo)
(Oracle bone script, China's earliest known systematic writing system. Image shows a divination turtle shell from Yinxu, photographer @Liu Yedao)
(Below is the He Zun, recording King Cheng of Zhou's construction of Chengzhou. Inscribed with "宅兹中国" (reside in this central state), the earliest known source of the term "China," image from @Huituwang)
Since Qin swept across the six states and unified Huaxia
New farmlands and villages spread across the land
(North China Plain, photographer @ Tian Chunyu)
(Loess Plateau terraces, photographer @ Wang Shenghui)
Zhongwei Plain, Yinchuan Plain, Hetao Plain
(Yinchuan Plain, image source @ Visual China)
all became farmland for ancient people
(Xinghai Basin farmland, photographer @ Li Heng)
(Please view horizontally, aerial view of Tang Daming Palace ruins, photographer @ Gou Bingchen)
(Longmen Yique in Luoyang, photographer @ Fu Ding)
for most of the time over 1000 years
and pushed this prosperity to its peak
(Xi'an Tang Paradise, image source @ Visual China)
With mighty power, shaping a mighty nation
Continuous agricultural development on the Loess Plateau
drastically reduced natural vegetation coverage in the basin
(Changes in natural vegetation range in the middle reaches of the Yellow River during historical periods, mapping @ Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
(Gullies on the Loess Plateau, photographer @ Ren Shiming)
(Line from Li Bai's poem "Do Not Cross the River")
The Yellow River surges west from Kunlun, roaring thousands of miles to strike Dragon Gate
(Suspended Yellow River illustration, mapping @ Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
Weak defenses could easily lead to Yellow River breaches and course changes
From 602 BC to 1949,
the lower reaches of the Yellow River breached and overflowed more than 1,590 times.
(Schematic of the lower Yellow River's channel changes, map by Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
Vast farmlands, villages, and towns were submerged.
(The lower Yellow River, with Mengjin as its apex, oscillated between Tianjin in the north and the Huai River in the south, forming a floodplain area of 250,000 km², map by Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
Yet it is no longer a torrent of floods and sediment-filled riverbeds.
The construction of a series of water conservancy projects in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River,
(Distribution of major water facilities along the Yellow River's main stream, map by Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
(The Yellow River's flood and sediment control primarily involves coordinated releases from multiple reservoirs upstream of Xiaolangdi to artificially create flood peaks for sediment flushing. Pictured: Longyangxia Dam discharging floodwaters, photo by Li Junbo)
(Xiaolangdi Reservoir discharging floodwaters, photo by Zhang Ziyu)
Implementing afforestation, returning farmland to forests and grasslands,
(Former farmland on the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi now covered in lush grass, photo by Shehu)
(Changes in vegetation coverage on the Loess Plateau, map by Chen Jingyi & Wang Shenwen/Planet Research Institute)
Has returned to its natural state from 3,000 years ago.
(Annual sediment transport changes at selected Yellow River stations from the 1950s to the 2010s. The sharp decline in sediment transport in the lower reaches during the 1990s was also related to reduced flow and even drying up of the river, map by Wang Shenwen & Chen Jingyi/Planet Research Institute)
The title of "world's highest sediment load"
Combined with sea-level rise due to global warming,
Has also led to erosion of the Yellow River Delta.
(Remote sensing image of the Yellow River Delta. After peaking at 3,061 km² in 1998, the delta began shrinking annually. Even the modern river mouth, which should be rapidly expanding land, is shrinking at an average rate of 2.53 km²/year—equivalent to losing 354 football fields annually, image from Google Earth)
(Yellow River levees. The structures extending into the river are "spur dikes," also called "deflecting dikes," typically perpendicular or oblique to the bank, resembling a "T" shape, designed to narrow the channel and protect the banks, photo by Wuyuchuan)
(Wuding River, photographer: Ren Shiming)
Thus, it rarely appears in the public eye
(Yellow River in Luoyang section, photographer: Wuyuchuan)
(Yellow River Bridge in Xigu District, Lanzhou, photographer: Chen Liwen)
(Daxi High-Speed Railway Jinsha Yellow River Grand Bridge, image source: China Railway Construction Corporation)
(Yellow River in Jingyuan section, Gansu, photographer: Wu Yidan)
What a magnificent river this is
What a vital river this is
With its mighty force, it shapes a mighty nation
(Yellow River in Gansu, photographer: Wang Shenghui)
Proofread by | Wang Changchun, Yunwu Kongcheng
Associate Professor Hu Zhenbo, Lanzhou University
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