1. Lijiang River information
The Lijiang river originates from the west side of Mount Emei (Emeishan) and flows into the Yangtze River in the city of Yibin. The river is about 1,000 km long, with its basin area being 5,500 square kilometers. The Lijiang River (Jinsha Jiang) originates from the Yangtze River and flows through Yunnan Province before emptying into China's largest freshwater lake, the Mekong River. The Lijiang River is famous for its beautiful landscape, rich biodiversity, ethnic minority culture, and natural scenery.
2. Climate
The climate of this region is subtropical monsoon humid, with four distinct seasons. There are two annual precipitation peaks, between June and August and September and October. Between May and September, the average temperature is 20-26°C. In winter, the average temperature drops to 8-16°C.
3. Water Resources
Several tributaries flow into the Lijiang River, including the Shilong River, Jinsha River, Shangri-la River, and Huangniu River. The water quality of the river has been improved over recent years. However, some pollution still exists.
Today, the Lijiang River remains an important transportation route for locals and visitors alike. Its waters provide drinking water for over two million residents of the region. This makes it one of the largest irrigation systems in China.
5. Lijiang River’s annual average flow rate is about 2 million cubic meters.
7. Lijiang River was named after the Liji River (梁氏河) in Tang Dynasty.
8. Lijiang River has five sections: Upper reaches, middle reaches, lower reaches, tributaries, and reservoirs. The total length of the river is about 1,700 km.
9. In the past, this river was heavily polluted due to the mining activities of the local population. It was called the “River of Death” because of its high mercury content and heavy metal pollution. Today, the water quality of the Lijiang River has improved significantly. However, there is still some way to go before this river can fully recover.
11. The Lijiang River is Asia's third-largest fresh-water river after the Yangtze and Mekong rivers.
12. The Lijiang River is known as one of the cleanest rivers in China. However, heavy rainfall can cause pollution problems.
13. The river has been called "China's Amazon" due to its size and biodiversity. There are over 1,000 different kinds of fish species along the river.
14. In ancient times, this area was home to the Yi people and they have lived here for over 2,000 years.
