Kaidu River
Encyclopedia
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and an important source of water for the region.
The sources of the Kaidu River are located on the central southern slopes of the Tian Shan
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan , also spelled Tien Shan, is a large mountain system located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak , ....
from where it flows through the Yulduz Basin and the Yanqi Basin into Lake Bosten
Lake Bosten
Bosten Lake is a freshwater lake located northeast of Korla, Xinjiang, China in the Bayin'gholin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture. Covering an area of about , it is the largest lake in Xinjiang and one of the largest inland freshwater lakes in China...
for which it is the most important tributary. The river leaves the lake under the name Peacock River . The Peacock River flows through the Iron Gate Pass
Iron Gate Pass
The Iron Gate Pass connects the Yanqi Basin and the Tarim Basin in central Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. The pass follows the gorge of the Peacock River. The main settlements linked by the pass are the town of Yanqi in the Yanqi Hui Autonomous County to the north and the city of Korla in...
into the Tarim Basin
Tarim Basin
The Tarim Basin is a large endorheic basin occupying an area of about . It is located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China's far west. Its northern boundary is the Tian Shan mountain range and its southern is the Kunlun Mountains on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The...
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Cultural significance
In the Journey to the WestJourney to the West
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It was written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century. In English-speaking countries, the tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley...
, the Kaidu River is referred to as the Flowing Sands River and is the place where the river-ogre Sha Wujing
Sha Wujing
Shā Wùjìng is one of the three disciples of Xuánzàng in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, although versions of his character predate the Ming novel. In the novels, his background is the least developed of the pilgrims and he contributes the least to their efforts...
terrorized the surrounding villages and travelers trying to cross the river, before becoming a disciple of Xuanzang
Xuanzang (fictional character)
The fictional character Xuanzang is a central character of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West.For most of the novel he is known as Táng-sānzàng, the title Sānzàng referring to his mission to seek the Sānzàngjīng, the "Three Collections of Scriptures"...
.