Terrain of Yangtze River during Yangtze River History

Yangtze River is the largest river of Asia so that the ten-thousand ships and Yangtze Cruise are allowed to pass through.

Terrain of Yangtze River – Geographical Position

According to Yangtze River history, Yangtze River basin situates between east longitude of 90°33′~122°25′and northern latitude of 24°30′~35°45′. Yangtze River has been demarcated by Mt. Kunlun, Mt. Bayan Har, Mt. Minshan, Mt. Qinling, Mt. Funiu, Mt. Tongpo, Mt. Dabie and Huaiyang Hills in north as the boundary from the interior drainage of Qaidam Basin, Yellow River and Huai River, besides it has been also demarcated by Mt. Tanggula, Mt. Hengduan, Mt. Jizu and other mountains in south as the boundary from interior drainage of Northern Tibet, Nu River, Lantsang River, Yuan River and Pearl River Basin.

In addition, in the west, Yangtze River has been demarcated by Hoh Xil Mountan, Mt. Ulam Ula, Mt. Zurpei Ulam, the group of snow mountains as the boundary from interior drainage of Changtang of Northern Tibet. In the southeast, Yangtze River has been demarcated by Mt. Wuyi, Mt. Shier, Mt. Huangshan (in Anhui Province) and Mt. Tianmu as the boundary from interior drainage between Fujian Province and Zhejiang Province.

Terrain of Yangtze River - Landform

Yangtze River basin has complex geologic structure across five regions: Yangzi Paraplatform, Sanjiang Fold System, Mt. Qingling Fold System and the Fold System of southern part of China.

There are many different magmatic rocks of different period in stratumn.

Terrain of Yangtze River - Topography

It is high in the west but lower in the east of Yangtze River Basin, and it has cross "Three Steps" of China.

The first step in the topography belongs to Jiangyuan Water system, Tongtian River, the part beyond the main stream of Jinsha River and southern part of Qinghai Provice, western plateau of southern Sichuan Province and the Mt. Hengduan. The first step of the terrain of China is 3500-5000 meters high.

The second step belongs to the part beneath of the main stream of Jinsha River, the main stream between Yibin City and Yichang City, the middle and lower reaches of Min River, Tuo River, Jialing River, Wu River, Qing River and the Mt. Qinba (Mt. Qinling and Mt. Dapa) of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Sichuan Basin and the Mt. Eqian. The Second step is 2000 – 500 meters high.

The third step belongs to the middle and lower reaches of the main stream of Yangtze River, the middle and lower reaches of Han River and the hills of the south part of Yangtze River, the plain of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River. It is below 500 meters high.

Terrain of Yangtze River - Physiognomy

There are many different types of the physiognomy in interior Yangtze River Basin, besides the height difference in the ground is great disparity. There are plateaus, mountains, hills, basins and plains in interior Yangtze River basin, which the mountains account for 71.4%, 13.3% of hills, and 11.3% of plains. Besides, the river and lakes account for 4%.

In addition, because of the great disparity of the terrain of Yangtze River basin, it forms the great difference with the physiognomy, climate, hydrology, soil, living beings and other natural geographic conditions in Yangtze River History.