National Parks of China
See also Mountain Ranges of China.
Yangtze system
Yangtze River
The longest river in China, about 6,300 km, known in its upper reaches as the Tuotuo, Tongtian and Jinsha rivers. Its basin covers roughly 1.8 million sq km and includes the Three Gorges, Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake.
Parks on this site: The Three Gorges of the Yangtze
Han River
The longest tributary of the Yangtze, about 1,500 km. The Danjiangkou Reservoir on its middle course is the source of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.
Jialing River
An important upper-Yangtze tributary of about 1,120 km, with one of the largest basins among the Yangtze's tributaries. It flows through Hechuan and Beibei and joins the Yangtze in urban Chongqing.
Min River
A tributary of the upper Yangtze, about 735 km long. The Dujiangyan irrigation system on its middle course has watered the Chengdu Plain for more than 2,000 years.
Parks on this site: Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Dadu River
The largest tributary of the Min River, about 1,062 km, called the Zumuzu River in its upper reaches. It runs through deep valleys, with sites such as the Luding Bridge along its course.
Yalong River
The largest tributary of the Jinsha River, about 1,571 km, rich in hydropower. Jinping-I and Ertan dams stand on its main stem.
Wu River
The largest southern tributary of the Yangtze, about 1,037 km. It crosses karst highlands in deep gorges.
Xiang River
The largest river in Hunan, about 856 km. It passes Yongzhou, Hengyang, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan and Changsha before entering Dongting Lake.
Gan River
The largest river in Jiangxi, about 766 km. It forms at Ganzhou from the Gong and Zhang rivers and reaches Poyang Lake past Nanchang.
Yellow River system
Yellow River
The second longest river in China, about 5,464 km, shaped like a large bend across the Loess Plateau and North China Plain. Hukou Waterfall, Longmen and Sanmenxia lie on its main course.
Parks on this site: Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River, Zhengzhou Yellow River
Wei River
The largest tributary of the Yellow River, about 818 km. It formed the Guanzhong Plain, with Xi'an, Xianyang and Baoji along its banks.
Fen River
The longest river in Shanxi, about 716 km, running through the basins of Taiyuan and Linfen and the province's main farmland.
Pearl River system
Xi River
The main stem of the Pearl River system, called the Nanpan, Hongshui, Qian and Xun rivers in its upper reaches. It is about 2,214 km, the longest in the system.
Bei River
One of the three main tributaries of the Pearl River, about 468 km, passing Shaoguan and Qingyuan before entering the Pearl River Delta near Foshan.
Dong River
One of the three main tributaries of the Pearl River, about 562 km, passing Heyuan and Huizhou. It is an important water source for Guangdong and Hong Kong.
Li River
The upper course of the Gui River. The roughly 83 km stretch from Guilin to Yangshuo runs among karst peaks and is the scenic section; together with the Gui River below it the river is about 437 km long.
Parks on this site: Guilin and the Li River
North-east
Heilongjiang (Amur River)
A major river of Northeast China. The section along China's border passes Mohe, Heihe, Tongjiang and Fuyuan, with extensive forest and wetland in its basin.
Ussuri River (Wusuli River)
A tributary of the Heilongjiang. The section along China's border joins the Heilongjiang near Fuyuan, with wetlands of the Sanjiang Plain on its banks.
Songhua River
The largest tributary of the Heilongjiang within China, formed by the Nen and Second Songhua rivers. It flows past Jilin, Harbin and Jiamusi and is about 1,927 km long.
Parks on this site: Songhua Lake
Nen River
The northern source of the Songhua River, about 1,370 km, running along the eastern foot of the Greater Khingan Range and across the Songnen Plain past Qiqihar.
Liao River
A major river of southern Northeast China, about 1,345 km, crossing the Liao Plain and entering Liaodong Bay near Panjin.
Yalu River
A border river in Northeast China, about 795 km, passing Ji'an and Dandong. Ji'an holds the Goguryeo capital cities and tombs.
Parks on this site: Yalu River
Tumen River
A border river rising in the Changbai Mountains, about 525 km. In China it flows through the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.
North China and the Huai
Hai River
The Hai River system is the largest in North China. The main stem runs about 73 km from urban Tianjin to Dagukou, with tributaries fanning out; the Yongding River is one of Beijing's main rivers.
Huai River
The Huai River marks part of the traditional north-south dividing line of China (the Qinling-Huai line). Its main stem is about 1,000 km long, and Hongze Lake is the largest in its basin.
South-east coast
Qiantang River
The largest river in Zhejiang, about 668 km, known as the Xin'an upstream and the Fuchun in its middle course. The tidal bore at its mouth is well known.
Parks on this site: Fuchun River, Xin’an River and Thousand Island Lake
Min River (Fujian)
The largest river in Fujian, about 562 km, formed by the Jian, Futun and Sha streams and reaching the sea past Nanping and Fuzhou.
Jiulong River
The main river of southern Fujian, about 285 km, formed by the North, West and South streams and entering Xiamen Bay near Zhangzhou and Xiamen.
South-west
Yarlung Tsangpo
One of the great plateau rivers, about 2,057 km within China, flowing across southern Tibet. The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon on its lower course is among the deepest in the world.
Lancang River
The Chinese section is about 2,130 km. In Yunnan it runs parallel to the Jinsha and Nu rivers in the Three Parallel Rivers World Natural Heritage area.
Nu River
The Chinese section is about 2,020 km. In Yunnan it runs through the Nujiang Grand Canyon between high mountains, part of the Three Parallel Rivers area.
North-west
Tarim River
China's longest inland river, about 2,137 km, flowing east along the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, with broad stands of Euphrates poplar along its banks.
Hotan River
Its headstreams, the Yurungkax and Karakax, rise in the Kunlun Mountains and meet north of Hotan; the river then crosses the Taklamakan Desert northwards. The desert stretch is seasonal: it reaches the Tarim only with summer snowmelt and floods and is mostly dry the rest of the year, lined by poplar woods.
Ili River
Rising in the Tianshan, it is formed by the Tekes, Kunes and Kash rivers and flows through the Ili Valley, a relatively humid and productive farming and herding area of Xinjiang.
Irtysh River (Ertix)
The only river in China that belongs to the Arctic Ocean drainage. In China it flows through the Altay region, with riparian forest along the valley.
Canal
Grand Canal
The longest and largest ancient canal in the world. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is about 1,794 km, together with the Sui-Tang and Eastern Zhejiang canals. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2014.
Parks on this site: The Grand Canal
Lakes
Eastern plains
Poyang Lake
China's largest freshwater lake, with an area that varies greatly by season. In winter it is a major wintering ground for migratory birds such as the Siberian crane.
Dongting Lake
A large lake on the middle Yangtze fed by the Xiang, Zi, Yuan and Li rivers and draining to the Yangtze at Chenglingji. Yueyang Tower stands on its shore.
Parks on this site: Yueyang Tower and Dongting Lake
Taihu Lake
The third largest freshwater lake in China, in the Yangtze Delta, with islands such as Sanshan. Wuxi, Suzhou and Huzhou lie around it.
Parks on this site: Lake Tai, The Three Hills of Lake Tai
Hongze Lake
The fourth largest freshwater lake in China, on the lower Huai River. Its surface is higher than the plain to the east, held by the Hongze Lake Embankment.
Chao Lake
The largest lake in Anhui, southeast of Hefei, with islands such as Laoshan.
Parks on this site: Lake Chao
Gaoyou Lake
In central Jiangsu, on the water route from the Huai River to the Yangtze, with the Grand Canal passing along its eastern side.
Weishan Lake
A chain of lakes including Weishan, Zhaoyang, Dushan and Nanyang, an important part of the Grand Canal in Shandong, known for its lotus in summer.
West Lake (Hangzhou)
A lake on the west side of Hangzhou, about 6.4 sq km, with the Su and Bai causeways and Three Pools Mirroring the Moon. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2011.
Parks on this site: West Lake, Hangzhou
Qiandao Lake (Xin'anjiang Reservoir)
A reservoir created after the Xin'anjiang hydropower station was built in the late 1950s, in Chun'an County, Hangzhou, with more than a thousand islands.
Danjiangkou Reservoir
At the confluence of the Han and Dan rivers, the source of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, spanning Danjiangkou in Hubei and Xichuan in Henan.
Parks on this site: Danjiangkou Reservoir
Tibetan Plateau
Qinghai Lake
The largest lake in China and its largest saline lake, about 4,400 sq km. Bird Island in the lake is a nesting site for migratory birds.
Parks on this site: Qinghai Lake
Namtso
The second largest lake in Tibet at about 4,718 m, at the northern foot of the Nyenchen Tanglha Range and a sacred lake in Tibetan Buddhism.
Parks on this site: Namtso and the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains
Siling Co
In Nagqu, northern Tibet, about 2,400 sq km, and in recent years the largest lake in Tibet.
Yamdrok Lake
In Nagarze County, Shannan, at about 4,441 m. It has an irregular shape and is a sacred lake in Tibetan Buddhism.
Parks on this site: Yamdrok Lake
Lake Mapam Yumco
In Burang County, Ngari, south of Mount Kailash, a high-altitude freshwater lake regarded as sacred in several religious traditions.
Parks on this site: Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar
Gyaring Lake
In Madoi County, Qinghai, on the upper Yellow River next to Ngoring Lake.
Ngoring Lake
In Madoi County, Qinghai, southeast of Gyaring Lake on the upper Yellow River, which leaves the lake and continues east.
North-west and north
Bosten Lake
One of China's largest inland freshwater lakes, in the Yanqi Basin, Xinjiang, fed by the Kaidu River and drained by the Konqi River.
Parks on this site: Bosten Lake
Hulun Lake
The largest lake in Inner Mongolia, on the Hulunbuir grassland, with abundant fish and birdlife.
Xingkai Lake (Chinese side)
In Mishan, Heilongjiang. The Chinese side has the Xingkai Lake National Nature Reserve with large wetlands.
Jingpo Lake
China's largest lava-dammed lake, in Ning'an, Heilongjiang, on the Mudan River. Diaoshuilou Waterfall lies at its northern end.
Parks on this site: Jingpo Lake
Heaven Lake of Changbai Mountain
A lake filling the crater at the summit of Changbai Mountain, ringed by steep volcanic peaks; it is one of the sources of the Songhua, Tumen and Yalu rivers and stays frozen for much of the year.
Parks on this site: Heaven Lake of Changbai Mountain
South-west
Dian Lake
The largest freshwater lake in Yunnan, south of Kunming at about 1,887 m, with the Western Hills and Haigeng nearby.
Parks on this site: Dianchi Lake, Kunming
Erhai Lake
At Dali, ear-shaped, at about 1,972 m, the second largest freshwater lake in Yunnan.
Fuxian Lake
Between Chengjiang, Jiangchuan and Huaning counties, Yuxi. It is one of China's deepest freshwater lakes, with a maximum depth of about 155 m.