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Pearl River

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Pearl River is an extensive river system located in southern China. It is a vital part of the region's geography and water systems. The name often refers to the entire watershed of several major tributaries. These include the Xi, Bei, and Dong rivers. These rivers all eventually flow into the South China Sea. They pass through a massive area known as the Pearl River Delta.

River Pearl
River Pearl

The system is formed by many different water paths joining together. When measured from its furthest reaches, the system is quite massive. It includes the Xi, Xun, Qian, Hongshui, and Nanpan rivers. This entire network is the third-longest river system in China. It follows only the Yangtze River and the Yellow River in length. However, it is the second largest river in China by volume. This means it carries more water than the Yellow River. This volume makes it a powerful force in the landscape.

The Pearl River Basin drains a very large amount of land. It covers most of the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. These two provinces are often called Liangguang. The basin also reaches into several other Chinese provinces. These include Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, and Jiangxi. The river system even extends into Vietnam. It drains the northernmost parts of the Cao Bằng and Lạng Sơn provinces. This wide reach shows how connected the river is to many different regions.

The name "Pearl River" has a very specific origin. It comes from the pearl-colored shells found in the riverbed. These shells are located where the river flows through Guangzhou. While the name describes the whole system, it also identifies one specific branch. This specific branch is a distributary within the delta. It is the widest distributary in the delta area. However, this particular branch is notably short in length. The waters that meet east of the Bei river are called the Pearl River just north of Guangzhou.

The mouth of the river forms a large bay in the southeast. This area is known as the Pearl River Estuary. Within this estuary is a place called the Bocca Tigris. This area is regularly dredged by workers. Dredging is the process of cleaning out the bottom of the water. This is done to keep the estuary open for large ocean vessels. The Bocca Tigris separates three different areas. It separates Shiziyang in the north from Lingdingyang in the south. It also separates Jiuzhouyang at the southern tip of the estuary. This tip is surrounded by the Wanshan Archipelago.

The Pearl River Estuary creates a natural boundary between several major areas. This large bay separates Macau and Zhuhai from Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Because of its importance, many things in the region are named after the river. For example, the Zhujiang Brewery in Guangzhou is a major company. It is one of the three largest domestic breweries in China. There is also a popular food manufacturer called Pearl River Bridge. These names show how the river is part of the local identity.

Modern engineering has also made its mark on the river. Near the Nansha Bridge, a 500 kV power line crosses the water. This line is suspended from three of the tallest pylons in the world. This shows how the river serves as a corridor for infrastructure. The river is a central point for many cities and connections. It links many different provinces and even different countries together through its water system.

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