Xiang River

Map showing the Xiang River basin

The Xiang River (also as Xiangjiang, Xiangjiang River, or simply as Xiang, Chinese: 湘江, 湘水 or 湘; pinyin: Xiāng Jiāng, Xiāng Shǔi; Wade–Giles: hsiāng chiāng or hsiāng shuǐ; Xiang: siɔ̃⁴⁴ ziɔ̃31 or siɔ̃⁴⁴ swɛ¹³), in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China. The river gave Hunan its Chinese abbreviation, the same as Xiang (湘).

Geography

Picture of Xiang River in Changsha, the Orange Island (Juzizhou) Bridge is on the left and Orange Island (Juzizhou) is in front.

Originating from Haiyang Mountain (海陽山) in Lingui of Guangxi, the Xiang is the largest river in Hunan and one of the largest tributaries of Yangtze River. It is 856 kilometres (532 mi) long and 670 kilometres (420 mi) of it is in Hunan.

People say the Xiang and the Lijiang River share the same origin, because the upper reaches of the two rivers are connected by the ancient Lingqu Canal, which is located in Xing'an County, Guangxi. According to a traditional saying, 70 per cent of the water in Lingqu flows into the Xiang and 30 percent flows into the Lijiang. In the past, the canal, along with the Xiang River and the Gui River provided an important waterway connecting the Yangtze River with the Pearl River Delta.^[1]

The river passes places such as Xing'an, Quanzhou, and Dongan, Yongzhou, Qiyang, Hengyang, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Changsha, Wangcheng, Xiangyin, and empties into Lake Dongting, where it connects to the Yangtze.

Tributaries:

The Xiao River (瀟水) flows into the Xiang near Changsha
The Zheng River (蒸水) converges with the Xiang in Chengbei District (城北區), Hengyang
The Lian River (涟水) and Juan River (涓水) flows into the Xiang near Hekou Town (河口镇), Xiangtan

Deities

The river is said to be protected by two goddesses, the Xiang Consorts (湘妃 Xiangfei): Ehuang (娥皇) and Nüying (女英).

They were the wives of the mystical ruler, Shun, and daughters of the former ruler Emperor Yao. Unable to bear the pain of their husband's death, they committed suicide in this river. The spots on the dotted Xiang River bamboos (湘江竹 or 湘竹), also known as Xiang Consorts Bamboo (湘妃竹), are said to be the teardrops of the consorts. These bamboos are also known as Marked Bamboos (斑竹) or Tear Bamboos (淚竹).

The Chu people of the Warring States period worshipped these Xiang Water Goddesses (湘水神). The poet Qu Yuan wrote a poem called Ladies Xiang (湘夫人) documented the songs of the rituals.

Other information

On June 14, 1919, young Mao Zedong founded The Shian Kian Weekly Review (湘江评论) to publicize Marxism in Changsha.

The character Shi Xiangyun from the Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber takes the first character of her given name from this river.

Major cities along the river

References

↑ Lingqu Canal (Xiang'an County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Qin Dynasty) (Nomination for the UNESCO Heritage List)

Xiang River. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 15, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/273784/Xiang-River

External links

Xiang Jiang at GEOnet Names Server

Hunan topics

Changsha (capital)

General	History Politics Economy

Geography	Cities Yangtze River Xiang River Zi River Yuanjiang River Lishui River Wuling Mountains Xuefeng Mountains Nanling Mountains Luoxiao Mountains Lake Dongting

Education	Hunan University Hunan University of Arts and Science Hunan Normal University Hunan Agricultural University

Culture	Han people Xiang dialect Nü shu writing system

Cuisine	Stinky tofu Dong'an chicken

Visitor attractions	Shaoshan Village Wulingyuan Avatar Hallelujah Mountain Mount Heng Zhangjiajie Fenghuang County

Category Commons

Coordinates: 29°26′N 113°8′E / 29.433°N 113.133°E / 29.433; 113.133

Major rivers of China

Yangtze River system	Yalong River Min River Dadu River Qingyi River Tuo River Jialing River Fu River Qu River Wu River Hanshui River Qing River Chishui River Xiao River Xiang River Zi River Yuan River Lishui River Gan River Fu River Xin River Qingyi Jiang Qinhuai River Huangpu River

Yellow River system	Black River Daxia River Tao River Qingshui River Wuding River Fen River Wei River Jing River Luo River (Henan) Luo River (Shaanxi) Qin River

Pearl River system	North River East River Han River Mei River Ting River West River Yujiang River Yong River Xun River Qian River Hongshui River Nanpan River Beipan River Rong River Gui River

Heilong River system	Songhua River 2nd Songhua River Nen River Mudan River Ussuri River Argun River

Huai River system	Guo River Ying River Shiguan River

Other major rivers	Hai River Chaobai River Yongding River Hutuo River Liao River Tarim River Karatash River Ili River Shule River Tumen River Yalu River Luan River Red River Minjiang River Longjiang River Lancang River Beilun River Nu River Lion Spring River Elephant Spring River Yarlung Tsangpo River (Horse Spring River) Nyang River Subansiri River Irtysh River

Major canals	Grand Canal of China Lingqu Canal North Jiangsu Main Irrigation Canal

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