Min River (Sichuan) Explained

Min River
Source1 Location:Songpan, Sichuan
Mouth Location:Yangtze at Yibin, Sichuan
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:People's Republic of China
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Sichuan
Length:735km (457miles)[1]
Discharge1 Avg:2850m3/s[2]
Basin Size:133000km2[3]
Tributaries Right:Dadu River
Discharge1 Location:Yibin
C:岷江
P:Mín jiāng

The Min River is a 735km (457miles) in central Sichuan province, China. It is a tributary of the upper Yangtze River, which flows through Chengdu and joins at Yibin. Within China, it was traditionally taken as the main course of the upper Yangtze before extensive exploration of its sources.[4]

Geography

The Min River flows in the general southern direction. It starts in north-central Sichuan, where its basin is limited by the Qionglai Mountains in the west and the Min Mountains in the east. The river passes through the Longmen Mountains and enters the plains of the Sichuan Basin near Dujiangyan. In that area, the ancient Irrigation System and the modern Zipingpu dam are located. The Giant Buddha of Leshan is built into the stone banks of the Min River.

Names

Some 19th-century Western authors used the name Blue River as the "colloquial name" for the Minjiang, after the former local Chinese name Qingshui (Chinese: 清水, lit. "Clear water"), and the belief that the Min constituted the main course of the Yangtze,[5] which was itself known to Europeans as the "Blue River".[6]

Wildlife

A survey by biologist Deng Qixiang found that only 16 of the 40 fish species recorded in the 1950s can be found today. The Sichuan Taimen, a protected species, has not been seen in one stretch of river, the Wenchuan, for an entire decade.[7]

History

Located along the Min River is the oldest surviving water management scheme built by hydraulic engineer Li Bing, helping to significantly expand the power of the Qin state and triggering a population boom in the Chengdu plain. It was built about 2,300 years ago. The first Western academic to research its history was Joseph Needham. The scheme became known as the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.

Dams

The Min is being heavily developed, primarily for hydroelectric power. Twenty-seven dams have been completed, are under construction, or are planned for the river as of March 2014. Those dams are listed below from downstream to upstream.[8] [9]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Studies of the Biogeochemistry of Typical Estuaries and Bays in China. 9783662581698. Shen. Zhiliang. 23 January 2019.
  2. Book: Studies of the Biogeochemistry of Typical Estuaries and Bays in China. 9783662581698. Shen. Zhiliang. 23 January 2019.
  3. Book: Studies of the Biogeochemistry of Typical Estuaries and Bays in China. 9783662581698. Shen. Zhiliang. 23 January 2019.
  4. Fan Chengda. James M. Hargett (trans.) Riding the River Home: A Complete and Annotated Translation of Fan Chengda's (1126 - 1193) Travel Diary Record of a Boat Trip to Wu, p. 77. Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), 2008. Accessed 15 August 2013.
  5. Yangtsze-Kiang . 28 . 903 . Jamieson . George.
  6. E.g., Moll, Herman. "The Empire of China and island of Japan, agreeable to modern history." Bowles & Bowles (London), 1736. Accessed 13 August 2013.
  7. Web site: Quenching China's thirst. 2 February 2007.
  8. Web site: INTERACTIVE: Mapping China's "Dam Rush" . Wilson Center . 15 June 2014 . Dong, Luan.
  9. Web site: China's Rivers Report. The Last Report on China's Rivers. March 2014. 15 June 2014.