Beipan River is a river in the Guizhou

Guizhou

' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...

 province, China, and part of the great Pearl River

Pearl River (China)

The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...

 basin.

Other names

The upper reaches in Yunnan

Yunnan

Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...

 and Guizhou

Guizhou

' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...

 were once known as the Zangke River.

Course

The Beipan River passes through the modern Chinese provinces of Yunnan

Yunnan

Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...

 and Guizhou

Guizhou

' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...

. When reaching the border of Guangxi

Guangxi

Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...

, the Beipan River (literally, the Northern Pan River) merges with the Nanpan River

Nanpan River

The Nanpan River has its source in the Yungui Plateau of eastern Yunnan Province. It then flows east, forming part of the border between Guizhou and Guangxi provinces. It joins with the Beipan River to become the Hongshui River....

 (the Southern Pan River), forming the Hongshui River

Hongshui River

The Hongshui River is a major river in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. It is one of the main rivers in the basin of the Xi River, which in its turn is one of the main tributaries of the Pearl River....

, which continues to the southeast.

History

The river was significant in history as a communications pathway between the Yelang

Yelang

Yelang , initially known as Zangke , was an ancient political entity first described in the 3rd century BC that was centered in what is now western Guizhou province, China...

 and Nanyue

Nanyue

Nanyue was an ancient kingdom that consisted of parts of the modern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan and northern Vietnam. Nanyue was established in 204 BC at the final collapse of the Qin Dynasty by Zhao Tuo, who was the military commander of Nanhai Commandery at the time, and...

 kingdoms.

Bridges

The river is crossed by the Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge

Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge

Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge is a 366 metre high suspension bridge at Xingbei Town , Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province, China. The bridge has a span width of 388 metres...

 and Beipanjiang River Railway Bridge

Beipanjiang River Railway Bridge

Beipanjiang River Railway Bridge is the world's highest railway bridge. It is situated at Liupanshui, Guizhou, China and is an arch bridge with a maximum height of 275 metres and a span width of 235 metres. It was inaugurated in 2001....

.