Lijiang River
Encyclopedia
The Li River or Lijiang River is a river
in Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
.
and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin
, Yangshuo
and Pingle
.
In Pingle the Li River merges with two other streams, and continues south as the Gui River
, which
falls into the Xi Jiang
, the western tributary
of the Pearl River
, in Wuzhou
.
The upper course of the River Li is connected by the ancient Lingqu Canal
with the Xiang River
, which flows north into the Yangtze; this in the past made the Li and Gui Rivers part of a highly important waterway connecting the Yangtze Valley with the Pearl River Delta
.
The 437-kilometer course of the Li and Gui Rivers is flanked by green hills. Cormorant fishing
is often associated with the Lijiang (see bird intelligence
). Its unusual karst topography
hillsides have often been compared to those at Halong Bay, Vietnam
.
's most famous scenic areas, featured in many scroll paintings. Features include:
The imagery of the Li River is featured on the fifth series of the 20 yuan
note.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in 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...
Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
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...
.
Background
The Li River originates in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an CountyXing'an County
Xing'an County is a county in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, under the administration of Guilin City. Its area is , with a population of 370000. The postal code is 541300.-External links:* at Xinhuanet...
and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
, Yangshuo
Yangshuo
Yangshuo County is a county in Guilin, Guangxi Province, China. Its seat is located in Yangshuo Town. Surrounded by karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River it is easily accessible by bus or by boat from nearby Guilin...
and Pingle
Pingle County
Pingle County is a county of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Guilin city....
.
In Pingle the Li River merges with two other streams, and continues south as the Gui River
Gui River
The Gui River is a river in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, and a tributary of the Xi Jiang....
, which
falls into the Xi Jiang
Xijiang River
The Xi River is the western tributary of the Pearl River in China. It is formed by the confluence of the Gui and Xun Rivers in Wuzhou, Guangxi. It then flows east through Guangdong, and enters the Pearl River Delta just east of the Lingyang Gorge in Zhaoqing. The main branch of the Xi flows...
, the western tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the 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...
, in Wuzhou
Wuzhou
Wuzhou , historically known as Wuchow, is a prefecture-level city in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Geography and climate:Wuzhou is located in eastern Guangxi bordering Guangdong province. It is at the confluence of the Gui River and the Xun River where they form the Xi River; 85% of all...
.
The upper course of the River Li is connected by the ancient Lingqu Canal
Lingqu Canal
The Lingqu Canal is located in Xing'an County, near Guilin, in the northeastern corner of Guangxi Province, China. It connects the Xiang River with the Lijiang , which in its turn continues toward the Xijiang), and thus is part of a historical waterway between the Yangtze and the Pearl River...
with the Xiang River
Xiang River
The Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China...
, which flows north into the Yangtze; this in the past made the Li and Gui Rivers part of a highly important waterway connecting the Yangtze Valley with the Pearl River Delta
Pearl River Delta
The Pearl River Delta , Zhujiang Delta or Zhusanjiao in Guangdong province, People's Republic of China is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea...
.
The 437-kilometer course of the Li and Gui Rivers is flanked by green hills. Cormorant fishing
Cormorant fishing
Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained cormorants to fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan and China from around 960 AD.and recorded from other places throughout the world....
is often associated with the Lijiang (see bird intelligence
Bird intelligence
Bird intelligence deals with the definition of intelligence and its measurement as it applies to birds. Traditionally, birds have been considered inferior in intelligence to mammals, and derogatory terms such as bird brains have been used colloquially in some cultures. Such perceptions are no...
). Its unusual karst topography
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
hillsides have often been compared to those at Halong Bay, Vietnam
Halong Bay
Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination, located in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. Administratively, the bay belongs to Hạ Long City, Cẩm Phả town, and part of Van Don district. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes...
.
Scenery of the Li River
Along the 100-kilometer stretch of the Li River, mountain peaks rise into the sky. It is one of ChinaChina
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...
's most famous scenic areas, featured in many scroll paintings. Features include:
- Reed-Flute Rock: a limestoneLimestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
caveCaveA cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites, stalacto-stalagmites, rocky curtains, and cave corals. - Seven-Star Park: the largest park in Guilin.
- Mountain of Splendid Hues: a mountain consisting of many layers of variously colored rocks.
- Elephant-Trunk Hill: a hill that looks like a giant elephant drinking water with its trunk. It is symbol of the city of Guilin.
- Lingqu CanalLingqu CanalThe Lingqu Canal is located in Xing'an County, near Guilin, in the northeastern corner of Guangxi Province, China. It connects the Xiang River with the Lijiang , which in its turn continues toward the Xijiang), and thus is part of a historical waterway between the Yangtze and the Pearl River...
: dug in 214 BC, is one of the three big water conservation projects of ancient China and the oldest existing canal in the world. - Other attractions include: Duxiu Peak, Nanxi Park, the Taohua River, the Giant Banyan, and the Huashan-Lijiang National Folklore Park.
The imagery of the Li River is featured on the fifth series of the 20 yuan
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
note.