Yellow River

The Yellow River, known in China as the Huanghe, is a massive river system. It is the second-longest river in China. It is also the sixth-longest river system on Earth.

The river begins in the high Bayan Har Mountains. It flows generally eastward before entering the Ordos Loop. This loop runs northeast through the Ordos Plateau and Inner Mongolia. The river then turns sharply south to form the border between Shanxi and Shaanxi. It eventually flows across the North China Plain and empties into the Bohai Sea.

The river's name comes from its distinct color. The water appears yellow because of high levels of sediment. Sediment is fine-grained material that the water carries along its path. As the river flows through the Loess Plateau, it picks up large amounts of this material. This sediment is continuously deposited along the bottom of the river channel. This process can create subaqueous dams, which are dams located under the water. These dams are often unpredictable and difficult to detect. Eventually, the water must find a new path to the sea, which can lead to sudden changes.

This river is often called the cradle of Chinese civilization. The Yellow River basin was the birthplace of ancient Chinese culture. Traditional history suggests the Xia dynasty began on its banks around 2100 BC. Some records state that tribes near the river united to fight frequent floods. This cooperation helped form early societies. However, the river has also been a source of great hardship. Because of its dual nature, people call it both "China's Pride" and "China's Sorrow." It provides fertile soil for farming, but its floods have been devastating.

Flooding is a major part of the river's history. Between 595 BC and 1946 AD, there were an estimated 1,593 floods. These floods have caused massive loss of life. For example, the 1887 flood killed between 900,000 and 2 million people. The 1931 flood was even larger, killing between 1 and 4 million people.

In the past, people built higher levees to stop the water. Sometimes, this made things worse. If a levee broke, the river bed was often higher than the surrounding land. This prevented the water from draining back into the river.

The river's course has shifted many times over the centuries. It has shifted its course 26 times noticeably and nine times severely.

In 1128, a major shift occurred when the river moved south of the Shandong Peninsula. This changed the flow of the Huai River as well. Historically, the river has even moved hundreds of kilometers to the east. These changes were sometimes caused by natural sedimentation. Other times, they were caused by humans. During the Warring States period, leaders sometimes used flooding as a military tactic.

Today, the Yellow River is vital for millions of people. The basin is home to about 120 million people. Over 420 million people live in the nearby provinces and rely on it for water. The basin contains 13 percent of China's cultivated land.

However, the water supply is under strain. Rainfall in the region is very uneven. Since the 1970s, the flow of water and sediment has decreased five-fold. Sometimes, the river has not even reached the sea. To help this, China has been working on the South–North Water Transfer Project since 2003.

Geologically, the river has a very long history. It likely formed during the Late Miocene, Pliocene, or Pleistocene periods. This happened because the Tibetan Plateau was uplifted.

Modern technology helps manage the river's dangers. For instance, aircraft are sometimes used to drop explosives on ice dams in Inner Mongolia. This prevents the sudden release of water that causes floods. People also use large dams to control the flow.

These efforts help protect the many people who live along the banks of this historic river.