Jialing River

The Jialing is a big river.

It flows into the Yangtze River. The water used to look green.

Many kinds of fish live there. There are 151 kinds of fish.

The river flows through many lands. It goes through Shaanxi and Sichuan. It also goes through Gansu.

Many cities sit near the water. You can find cities like Chongqing there. The river is a very important place.

The Jialing River is a major river in China. It flows into the Yangtze River. The river sits inside the Sichuan Basin. It travels through Shaanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan.

The river has many names. People used the name Ba a long time ago. In the 1800s, people called it the Little River. The name Jialing became common during the Tang Dynasty. The water used to look a clear green color. The river path is very curvy. Some parts twist and turn a lot.

Many cities sit along the river. These include Tianshui, Baoji, and Chongqing. Many ships once used the water for trade. Shipyards were built in places like Hechuan.

Many animals live in the water. There are 151 kinds of fish in the river. Fifty-one of these fish live only in the Yangtze River basin.

In the past, people worked to change the river. They dug out the bottom to make it straight. By the early 1970s, boats could travel on it all year.

The Jialing River is a very important part of the Yangtze River system. It sits inside the Sichuan Basin in China. This river flows through several different areas like Shaanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan. It is a major tributary, which means it flows into a larger river. The Jialing is known for its curvy and winding path. In the past, people noticed its clear green water.

Water flows through many different lands to form this river. The name Jialing comes from the Jialing Valley in Feng County. One part of the river starts near a place called Jialin. This name refers to the tomb of a king named Jia. The river travels through Gansu before it enters Shaanxi again. Then it moves south into the Sichuan province. The longest part starts at the Baozuo River.

Many people have lived near this river throughout history. Long ago, the river was the heart of the ancient state of Ba. During the Tang Dynasty, the name Jialing became very common. Before that, people often called the river the Ba, Lang, or Yu. In the 1800s, locals called it the Little River. They compared it to the much larger Jinsha and Yangtze rivers.

Many different cities sit along the river or its branches. You can find cities like Tianshui, Baoji, and Longnan along the way. Other cities include Guangyuan, Langzhong, Nanchong, and Chongqing. The river has large branches like the Fu and Qu rivers. These branches join the main river in Hechuan. Many fish live in these waters. There are 151 species of fish in the river. Fifty-one of these fish live only in the Yangtze River basin.

People have used the river for work for a long time. In the 1880s, many shipping guilds worked on the water. Places like Hechuan and Chongqing built shipyards to make boats. In the 1920s, ferry guilds moved people across the river. After 1949, workers changed the river to help boats move better. They dredged the bottom and straightened parts of it. By the early 1970s, boats could travel the river all year.

The Jialing River is a major tributary of the Yangtze River. It flows through the Sichuan Basin in China. This river is a significant part of the regional water system. It is known for its sinuous, or winding, course. In the past, people noted its pellucid green waters. This means the water was very clear and bright. Today, the river remains a vital geographic feature.

The river's path is complex and covers several provinces. One source of the name Jialing is the Jialin area. This name refers to the tomb of Jia. Jia was the last king of the State of Zhao. After the State of Qin defeated Zhao, Jia was moved to Tianshui in Gansu Province. The river briefly flows through Gansu. It then reenters Shaanxi before crossing south into Sichuan. The longest stem of the river begins in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. This source is at the head of the Baozuo River. The Baozuo is a tributary of the Bailong River. The Bailong and the Jialing branches meet in Guangyuan. From there, the water continues as the Jialing into the Yangtze.

The Jialing River has many different parts and branches. The Bailong River forms a portion of the main stem. Other large tributaries include the Xihan, Fu, and Qu rivers. The Xihan River meets the Jialing in Shaanxi province. The Fu River is also known as the Sui He. Both the Fu and the Qu rivers join the Jialing in Hechuan, Chongqing. The Fu joins the right bank, while the Qu joins the left bank. These connections help move large amounts of water through the basin. The river reaches the floor of the Sichuan Basin at Langzhong. It then follows a winding path toward Chongqing.

History shows that the river has held many different names. The name Jialing did not become common until the Tang Dynasty. Before this time, it was often called the Ba. It also appeared in records as the Lang or the Yu. In the 19th century, local Sichuanese people called it the Small River. They used this name to compare it to the Jinsha and Yangtze rivers. The river was the heartland of the ancient state of Ba. Major cities of that state sat at the confluences of tributaries. These are the places where two rivers meet.

Legends and art also connect to the Jialing River. One story involves the Tang-era artist Wu Daozi. During the Kaiyuan Era, Emperor Xuanzong commissioned a painting of the river. Wu Daozi traveled to Sichuan to study its course. Legend says he returned to the palace and finished the work in one day. He supposedly did this entirely from memory. Some stories say his speed was challenged by Li Sixun. Li followed the tradition of using many prepared sketches. Whether true or not, the story shows the river's importance to art.

Many cities and animals are linked to the Jialing. Cities along the course include Tianshui, Baoji, and Longnan. Other major cities are Guangyuan, Langzhong, Nanchong, and Chongqing. Many other towns sit within the river's basin. These include Mianyang, Suining, Bazhong, Wanyuan, Dazhou, and Guang'an. The river is also home to a diverse amount of wildlife. A total of 151 species of fish inhabit the river. Of these, 51 species are endemic to the Yangtze River basin. Endemic means they are found only in that specific area.

Human industry has always relied on the river's movement. Around 1880, shipping guilds were very active in Chongqing. Four out of the 24 guilds focused on the Jialing. Shipyards developed in Chongqing, Lingshi, Lezhi, and Hechuan. By the 1920s, five of Chongqing's eight ferry guilds used the river. After the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, the river changed. Workers dredged the bottom to remove sediment. They also straightened parts of the winding path. These efforts made the river navigable throughout the year by the early 1970s.