Reread Chinese Geography

Author: Duan Yushan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The two river basins of China are considered the core of the entire East Asian and Pacific regions, stretching from the Ural Mountains to the eastern part of the Asian continent and the Indian Ocean. This is no exaggeration. The division between the Eastern and Western civilizations of the Old World has profound geographical and environmental roots. Since the Quaternary period, the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau has severely blocked communication between the eastern and western sides of the Old World, while also affecting the planetary wind systems, making East Asia the largest monsoon region, while North Africa and Southern Europe became Mediterranean climates. The two sides of the Old World began to develop independently. The natural and geographical conditions of the East itself meant that only its core areas—the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins—had the material conditions to develop agriculture early and subsequently enter a civilized society based on agricultural development. The Yellow River basin is located in the world-famous Loess Plateau, where rainfall is concentrated in summer and autumn. The Yangtze River basin has numerous tributaries, with fertile and vast plains developing on both banks, with distinct seasons and abundant rainfall. The two basins formed agricultural systems with different emphases, yet because they complemented each other, they had extraordinary vitality, with a deeper economic foundation compared to the other two later-formed agricultural origin centers in the world—West Asia and Mesoamerica—thus profoundly influencing the emergence and development of Eastern civilization. The superior natural and geographical environment provided a stage for our ancestors to grow and thrive, which is why we still live and develop on this land today. Looking at the entire history of human civilization, we can see that every culture is deeply marked by its geographical environment. The far-reaching two-river civilization, the stable and enduring Nile civilization, and the intricate Indus civilization—the oldest civilizations in human history—all originated from the droplet of water that nourished the seeds. Agricultural civilization is the deepest foundation of Chinese culture. On a land area of 1/4 of Asia, covering about 9.6 million square kilometers, live 1.3 billion Chinese people, accounting for 22% of the world's population. They belong to 56 ethnic groups, with 24 ethnic scripts and over 80 ethnic languages, sharing various religious beliefs such as Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. A common national consciousness and shared memory have united such a diverse group into one big family. Looking back at this journey, can we also start from that transparent liquid? The meandering rivers of the Yangtze, Yellow, Huai, Hai, Pearl, and Yarlung Tsangpo carry the life-giving blood that sustains existence. Let us follow these clear veins to reread the geography of China and rediscover this land we are proud of.
Overview of Chinese Geography
Territory
China is located in the Northern Hemisphere, in the east and central part of Asia, and on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. It faces the sea to the southeast and extends inland to the northwest. It has a long coastline, making it a land-sea country. Its longitudinal and latitudinal span is vast. From the easternmost point where the Heilongjiang and Ussuri Rivers converge at 135°05′E to the westernmost point on the eastern shore of Lake Kara on the Pamir Plateau at 73°22′E, it spans approximately 62° in longitude, with a straight distance of about 5,200 kilometers and a time difference of over 4 hours between east and west. From the southernmost point near the Spratly Islands at 3°51′N to the northernmost point near the main channel of the Heilongjiang River in Mohe County at 53°34′N, it spans about 50° in latitude, with a distance of 5,500 kilometers.
China shares a land boundary of about 22,800 kilometers with four neighboring countries: North Korea, Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan, as well as 15 other countries such as Vietnam. To the east, it faces South Korea and Japan, while to the southeast, it overlooks the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia across the sea. To the southwest lies the famous "Roof of the World"—the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with its edge marked by the world's tallest mountain range—the Himalayas, where Mount Everest stands as the world's highest peak. Other major mountain ranges in China include the Altai Mountains, Tian Shan, Kunlun Mountains, Daxing'an Mountains, and Changbai Mountains. The country has four major plateaus: the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the Loess Plateau, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and the Inner Mongolian Plateau. It also has three major plains: the Northeast Plain, the North China Plain, and the Middle-Lower Yangtze Plain.
The Yangtze River is China's longest river and the third longest in the world, stretching 6,300 kilometers. The Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is 1,801 kilometers long, making it the longest canal in the world. The coastal areas have numerous islands, with Taiwan Island being the largest, followed by Hainan Island. Major lakes include Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake, and Taihu Lake. Qinghai Lake is the largest saltwater lake.