Huai River

"Huai" redirects here. For the Xia Dynasty king, see Huai of Xia.

Huai River (淮河)
Huai He
Huai River
Country	China
States	Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu


Source	Tongbai Mountain
Mouth	Yangtze

Length	1,110 km (690 mi)
Basin	174,000 km² (67,182 sq mi)
Discharge
- average	1,110 m³/s (39,199 cu ft/s)

Map of the Huai River

The Wanfu Floodgate (万福闸) near Yangzhou, one of the major flood control projects in the area

The Huai River (Chinese: 淮河; pinyin: Huái Hé) is a major river in China. It is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze,^[1] the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east. The Huai is notoriously vulnerable to flooding.

The Huai River-Qin Mountains line is generally regarded as the geographical dividing line between Northern and southern China. This line approximates the 0 degree January isotherm and the 800 mm isohyet in China. It also reflects the boundary established in 1142 by the Treaty of Shaoxing between the Jin dynasty in North China and the Southern Song in South China.

The Huai River is 1,110 kilometres (690 mi) long with a drainage area of 174,000 square kilometres (67,000 sq mi).^[1]

Course

The Huai River originates in Tongbai Mountain in Henan province. It flows through southern Henan, northern Anhui, and northern Jiangsu, entering the Yangtze River at Jiangdu, Yangzhou.

Historically, the Huai River entered the Yellow Sea at Yuntiguan ("Escalade Pass") through a broad and level lower course. It was long used to irrigate the surrounding farmlands, and was the centre of an extensive network of canals and tributaries. Beginning in 1194, however, the Yellow River to the north repeatedly changed its course southwards to run into the Huai River. The resulting silting was so heavy that after the Yellow River changed back to its northerly course for the most recent time in 1897, the geography of the Huai River basin was changed significantly by the creation of new high lands, lakes, and the built-up silt of the Yellow River's historical southern course. As a result, water from the midsection of the river could not easily flow into the lower section, while water in the lower section could not find an outlet to the sea. The problem worsened in the Second World War, when the Chiang Kai-shek government, in an attempt to check the pace of the Japanese invasion, flooded the lower Huai basin by opening the Yellow River's southern levee. The main stem of the Yellow River flowed through the levee breach for the next nine years, further disrupting the Huai river system.

The result of these changes was that water from the Huai River pooled up into Lake Hongze, and then ran southwards towards the Yangtze River. Major and minor floods occurred frequently, with the area suffering droughts in between floods. In the 450 years to 1950, the Huai River saw, on average, 94 major floods per century.

Attempts to solve the Huai River's problems have focussed on building outlets for the Huai River into the Yangtze River and the sea. Currently, the major part of the river's flow enters the Yangtze River via Lake Hongze. The North Jiangsu Main Irrigation Canal also diverts some of its water along its old historical course to the sea, and is planned to be upgraded with a new parallel channel. Several former tributaries also carry some water to the sea.

References

1 2 "Huai River". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Huai River (Huai He).

Huai River

The Seven Great Rivers of China

Amur River Hai River Huai River Liao River Pearl River Yangtze River Yellow River

Coordinates: 32°24′37″N 115°24′14″E / 32.4103°N 115.404°E / 32.4103; 115.404

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

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 252984902 NDL: 00648279

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