The Red River also known as the Sông Cái - Mother River (Vietnamese), or Yuan River (Chinese), is a river

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...

 that flows from southwest China

Southwest China

Southwest China is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing, the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, and the Tibet Autonomous Region.-Provinces:-Municipalities:...

 through northern Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 to the Gulf of Tonkin

Gulf of Tonkin

The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...

. According to C.Michael Hogan, the associated Red River Fault was instrumental in forming the entire South China Sea at least as early as 37 million years before present.

Geography

The Red River begins in China's 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...

 province in the mountains south of Dali. It flows generally southeastward, passing through Dai

Dai people

The Dai peoples is one of several ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture , but by extension can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Lue, Chinese Shan or even...

 ethnic minority areas before leaving China through Yunnan's Honghe Autonomous Prefecture

Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture

Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Yunnan Province, China. Its name is derived from the Honghe river and the two major ethnic minority groups who live there: the Yi and the Hani. Honghe has an area of 32,929 km²...

. It enters Vietnam at Lào Cai Province

Lao Cai Province

Lào Cai , is a province of northeastern in the mountainous region of Vietnam, bordering the province of Yunnan in the China. The province covers an area of 6383.9 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 602,300 people....

. It forms a portion of the international border between China and Vietnam. Once reaching the lowlands near Viet Tri, the river and its distributaries spread out to form the Red River Delta

Red River Delta

The Red River Delta is the flat plain formed by the Red River and its distributaries joining in the Thai Binh River in northern Vietnam. The delta measuring some 15,000 square km is well protected by a network of dikes. It is an agriculturally rich area and densely populated...

. The Red River flows past the Vietnamese capital Hanoi

Hanoi

Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...

 before emptying into the Gulf of Tonkin

Gulf of Tonkin

The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...

.
Tonkin

Tonkin

Tonkin , also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is the northernmost part of Vietnam, south of China's Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, east of northern Laos, and west of the Gulf of Tonkin. Locally, it is known as Bắc Kỳ, meaning "Northern Region"...

 is the former name of the northern provinces of Vietnam and thus the eponymous body of water receiving the main river of "Tonkin".

The reddish-brown heavily silt-laden water gives the river its name. The Red River is notorious for its violent floods with its seasonally wide volume fluctuations. The delta is a major agricultural area of Vietnam with vast area devoted to rice. The land is protected by an elaborate network of dikes and levee

Levee

A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...

s.

In the 19th century, the river was thought to be a lucrative trade route to China. It was the forced opening of the Red River to European commerce that prompted the 1883–1886 wars

Tonkin campaign

The Tonkin Campaign was a armed conflict fought between June 1883 and April 1886 by the French against, variously, the Vietnamese, Liu Yongfu's Black Flag Army and the Chinese Guangxi and Yunnan armies to occupy Tonkin and entrench a French protectorate there...

 between France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and the Vietnamese court, culminating in the conquest of Vietnam.

The Black River

Black River (Vietnam)

The Black River is a river located in China and northwestern Vietnam. Its source is in Yunnan Province of China...

 and Lô River

Lô River

The Lô River is a major river of Vietnam. It flows through Hà Giang Province, Tuyen Quang Province and Phu Tho Province for 470 kilometres and has a basin area of 39,000 km² and originates in Yunnan, China as the Panlong River....

 are the Red River's two chief tributaries.

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...

 

• 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...
  
  
  • Honghe
    Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture
    Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Yunnan Province, China. Its name is derived from the Honghe river and the two major ethnic minority groups who live there: the Yi and the Hani. Honghe has an area of 32,929 km²...
    
    
  • Nansha, administrative seat of Yuanyang
  • Hekou
    Hekou Yao Autonomous County
    The Hekou Yao Autonomous County is an autonomous county in the southern part of the Yunnan province of China. It is part of the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture and borders the northern Vietnamese town of Lao Cai.-Industrial Park:...
    
    

Vietnam

• Hà Nội
  Hanoi
  Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
  
  
  • Ba Đình
  • Ba Vì
    Ba Vi
    Ba Vì is a rural district of Hanoi in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam....
    
    
  • Đan Phượng
  • Đông Anh
  • Gia Lâm
    Gia Lam
    Gia Lâm is a district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Gia Lam Airport is located in the district. At one time Vietnam Airlines's headquarters were on the airport property....
    
    
  • Hai Bà Trưng
  • Hoàn Kiếm
    Hoan Kiem
    Hoàn Kiếm is an urban district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, named after the scenic Hoan Kiem Lake.Hoan Kiem district is the downtown and commercial centre of Hanoi...
    
    
  • Hoàng Mai
    Hoang Mai, Hanoi
    Hoang Mai is an urban district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam....
    
    
  • Long Biên
    Long Bien
    Long Biên is an urban district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.Vietnam Airlines has its headquarters in Long Bien....
    
    
  • Mê Linh
    Me Linh
    Mê Linh is a rural district of Hanoi, formerly of Vinh Phuc province in the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam....
    
    
  • Phúc Thọ
    Phuc Tho
    Phúc Thọ is a district huyện of Hanoi, formerly of Ha Tay province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam....
    
    
  • Phú Xuyên
    Phu Xuyen
    Phú Xuyên is a district of Ha Tay province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam....
    
    
  • Sơn Tây
    Son Tay
    Sơn Tây is an urban district and city in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It was the capital of Son Tay province before merging with Ha Dong province in 1965...
    
    
  • Tây Hồ
    Tay Ho
    Tây Hồ is an urban district of Hanoi the capital city of Vietnam, named after the West Lake nearby. VietJet AirAsia, a planned airline, has its headquarters on the fourth floor of the Flower Mansion in Tay Ho. Air Mekong maintains its Hanoi branch on the third floor of the Syrena Tower in Tay...
    
    
  • Thanh Trì
  • Thường Tín
    Thuong Tin
    Thường Tín is a district of Hanoi in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam....
    
    
  • Từ Liêm
    Tu Liem
    Từ Liêm is a rural district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam....
    
    
• Hà Nam
  Ha Nam Province
  Hà Nam is a province of northern Vietnam, in the Red River Delta.-History:The Hà Nam Province, and Vietnam as a whole, implemented the second five-year plan between 1975 and 1980. This plan included protecting the country's national border and gradually overcoming difficulties within the country...
  
  
  • Duy Tiên
    Duy Tien
    Duy Tien is a district of Ha Nam Province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of . The district covers an area of 134 km². The district capital lies at Hoa Mac.-References:...
    
    
  • Lý Nhân
    Ly Nhan
    Lý Nhân is a rural district of Ha Nam province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 189,180. The district covers an area of 167 km². The district capital lies at Vinh Tru.-References:...
    
    
• Hưng Yên
  Hung Yen Province
  Hưng Yên is a province in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam.-Administrative divisions:The province comprises one city and nine districts:#Ân Thi#Khoái Châu#Kim Động#Mỹ Hào#Phù Cừ#Tiên Lữ#Văn Giang#Văn Lâm#Yên Mỹ...
  
  
  • Văn Giang
    Van Giang
    Van Giang is a district of Hung Yen Province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 96,493. The district covers an area of 72 km². The district capital lies at Van Giang.-References:...
    
    
  • Khoái Châu
    Khoai Chau
    Khoái Châu is a rural district of Hung Yen province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. In Sino-Vietnamese script, used until 1945, the name is given as 快州.-Feudal time:*During Hung Kings period, Khoai Chau belonged to Giao Chi borough....
    
    
  • Kim Động
  • Hưng Yên
  • Tiên Lữ
    Tien Lu
    Tiên Lữ is a rural district of Hung Yen province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 109,496. The district covers an area of 92 km². The district capital lies at Vuong.-References:...
    
    
• Lào Cai
  Lao Cai Province
  Lào Cai , is a province of northeastern in the mountainous region of Vietnam, bordering the province of Yunnan in the China. The province covers an area of 6383.9 square kilometres and as of 2008 it had a population of 602,300 people....
  
  
  • Bảo Yên
    Bao Yen
    Bao Yen is a district of Lao Cai Province in the Northeastern region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 73,924. The district covers an area of 821 km²...
    
    
  • Bảo Thắng
• Nam Định
  • Nam Trực
    Nam Truc
    Nam Trực is a rural district of Nam Dinh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 203,311 . The district covers an area of 162 km². The district capital lies at Nam Giang....
    
    
  • Giao Thủy
    Giao Thuy
    Giao Thủy is a rural district of Nam Dinh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 207,273. The district covers an area of 166 km². The district capital lies at Ngo Dong....
    
    
  • Trực Ninh
    Truc Ninh
    Truc Ninh is a district of Nam Dinh Province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 196,765. The district covers an area of 143 km². The district capital lies at Co Le.-References:...
    
    
  • Xuân Trường
    Xuan Truong
    Xuân Trường is a rural district of Nam Dinh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 179,765. The district covers an area of 113 km². The district capital lies at Xuan Truong.-References:...
    
    
• Phú Thọ
  Phu Tho Province
  Phú Thọ is a province in northeastern Vietnam. The province's name derives from Sino-Vietnamese and its capital is Viet Tri City, which is away from Hanoi and from the Noi Bai International Airport...
  
  
  • Cẩm Khê (old name: Sông Thao)
  • Hạ Hòa
  • Lâm Thao
  • Phú Thọ
    Phú Thọ
    Phú Thọ is an urban district and town in Phu Tho province, Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 63,333. The district covers an area of 64 km²....
    
    
  • Tam Nông
  • Thanh Ba
  • Thanh Thủy
  • Việt Trì
• Thái Bình
  Thai Binh Province
  Thái Bình is a coastal eastern province in the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam, named after the Vietnamese name for the Pacific Ocean: Thái Bình Dương...
  
  
  • Hưng Hà
    Hung Ha
    Hưng Hà is a rural district of Thai Binh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 252,912. The district covers an area of 200 km². The district capital lies at Hung Ha.-References:...
    
    
  • Vũ Thư
    Vu Thu
    Vu Thu is a district of Thai Binh Province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 229,406. The district covers an area of 199 km². The district capital lies at Vu Thu.-References:...
    
    
  • Kiến Xương
    Kien Xuong
    Kiến Xương is a rural district of Thai Binh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 240,253. The district covers an area of 213 km²...
    
    
  • Tiền Hải
    Tien Hai
    Tien Hai is a district of Thai Binh Province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 213,616. The district covers an area of 226 km². The district capital lies at Tien Hai.-References:...
    
    
• Vĩnh Phúc
  Vinh Phuc Province
  Vĩnh Phúc is a province in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. It is divided into one city , one town , and seven districts:#Bình Xuyên#Lập Thạch#Tam Đảo#Tam Dương#Vĩnh Tường#Yên Lạc- Etymology :...
  
  
  • Vĩnh Tường
    Vinh Tuong
    Vinh Tuong is a district of Vinh Phuc Province in the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 189,970. The district covers an area of 142 km²...
    
    
  • Yên Lạc
    Yên Lạc
    Yên Lạc may refer to several places in Vietnam:*Yên Lạc District*Yên Lạc - capital of the district*Yên Lạc, Bắc Kạn...
    
    
• Yên Bái
  Yen Bai Province
  Yên Bái is an agricultural-based province located in Tay Bac, the northern part of northern-central Vietnam. It shares borders with five provinces which are Lao Cai province, Lai Chau province, Son La province, Tuyen Quang province, and Phu Tho province...
  
  
  • Trấn Yên
  • Vân Yên

External links