Hai River

The Hai River is a major waterway in China. Its name means "Sea River" in English. It is also known as the Peiho or the Hai Ho. This river flows into the Bohai Sea. Its drainage basin covers many large areas. It includes most of Hebei, Beijing, and Tianjin. It also reaches parts of Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong.

The river is formed by the confluence of five distinct watercourses. These five sources are the Ziya River, the Daqing River, and the Yongding River. The other two are the Northern Canal and the Southern Canal. Both canals are parts of the Grand Canal system. The Northern Canal is the northern terminus of the Beijing-Hangzhou system. It connects with the Chaobai River at Tongzhou. The Southern Canal receives water from the Wei River at Linqing. Through the Grand Canal, the Hai River connects to the Yellow and Yangtze rivers.

History shows that the Grand Canal changed the river's natural path. Before the canal was built, these rivers flowed independently. The Wei, Ziya, Yongding, and Bai Rivers all flowed into the sea separately. The construction of the Grand Canal cut through the lower reaches of these rivers. This process fused them into a single outlet. This new outlet became the current Hai River. This change turned several separate systems into one large drainage basin.

The Hai River has held many different names over many centuries. During the Song dynasty, it was called the Jie River, meaning "Border River." In the Jin and Yuan dynasties, it had different names. It was known as the Zhígū River or the Dàgū River. The name Hai River first appeared toward the end of the Ming dynasty. The river's length is measured from its estuary to its longest tributary. This tributary is the confluence of the Ziya River and the Northern Canal.

The river has played a role in many historical conflicts. In June 1840, it was used for negotiations during the First Opium War. These talks involved Qing Imperial Commissioner Qishan and British Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot. In May 1858, the river saw an invasion during the Second Opium War. Anglo-French forces captured the Taku Forts during this time. Later, during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, the river saw more combat. Chinese forces deployed "electric mines" at the Baihe river. They did this to stop the Eight-Nation Alliance from attacking by ship.

Visiting the river, one would notice the water is extremely muddy. This is similar to the Yellow River. The water carries silt from the powdery soil it flows through. This silt deposits in the lower reaches of the river. Because the five tributaries have only one shallow outlet, flooding can be very strong. These floods are dangerous because Beijing and Tianjin are in the basin. Both are very large cities. Flooding in these areas can cause a significant loss of life and property.

Engineers have worked to manage the river and its floods. They have built reservoirs to hold water. They have also dug artificial channels to divert excess water to the sea. One example is the Chaobai River. It is now diverted to the Chaobai Xin River. This means it no longer joins with the Northern Canal. However, the river faces new challenges today. Industrial and urban development has decreased the volume of water flow. Many tributaries are now dry for most of the year. This reduction in water makes pollution problems worse. The South-North Water Transfer Project may help solve this water shortage.