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{{for|other Yellow Rivers}}
{{redirect|Huang He|the actor|Huang He (actor)}}
{{Infobox River | river_name = Yellow River (''Huang He'')
| image_name = Yellowrivermap.jpg
| caption = Current Course of the Yellow River with major cities
| origin = [[Bayan Har Mountains]], [[Qinghai Province]]
| mouth = [[Bohai Sea]]
| basin_countries = [[People's Republic of China]]
| length = {{convert|5464|km|abbr=on}}
| elevation = {{convert|4500|m|abbr=on}}
| discharge = {{convert|2,571|m³/s|abbr=on}}
| watershed = {{convert|752,000|km²|abbr=on}}
}}
{{ChineseText}}
[[File:Yellow River Delta Change.gif|thumb|Changes at the Yellow River Delta river mouth over the past two decades.]]

The '''Yellow River''' or '''Huang He / Hwang Ho''' ({{zh|c={{linktext|黃|河}}|p={{linktext|Huáng| Hé}}}}; {{lang-mn|Hatan Gol}}, ''Queen river''<ref name="geonames">[http://www.geonames.de/water3.html#hua geonames.de: Huang He]</ref><ref>This is the name [[Inner Mongolian]]s use. [[Mongolia|Outer Mongolians]] usually call the river Shar Mörön (''Шар мөрөн''), that is, ''Yellow River''.</ref>) is the second-longest river in [[China]] (after the [[Yangtze River]]) and the [[List of rivers by length|sixth-longest]] in the world at the estimated length of {{km to mi|5464}}<ref>[http://www.geol.lsu.edu/WDD/ASIAN/Huanghe/huange_he.htm Yellow River (Huang He) Delta, China, Asia]</ref><ref>[[Chinese history]] records that Yellow River has changed its course 17 times</ref>. Originating in the [[Bayan Har Mountains]] in [[Qinghai]] [[Province (China)|Province]] in western [[China]], it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into the [[Bohai Sea]]. The Yellow River basin has an east-west extent of 1900&nbsp;km (1,180&nbsp;mi) and a north-south extent of 1100&nbsp;km (684&nbsp;mi). Total basin area is 742,443&nbsp;km² (290,520&nbsp;mi²).

The Yellow River is called "the cradle of [[Chinese civilization]]", as its basin is the birthplace of the northern Chinese civilizations and was the most prosperous region in early [[Chinese history]]. But frequent devastating [[Natural disasters in China|flooding]] largely due to the elevated [[river bed]] in its lower course, has also earned it the unenviable names "China's Sorrow" and "Scourge of the Sons of Han."<ref>[http://www.pausingtoremember.net/China's_sorrow.html China's Sorrow." Times Past: Pausing to Remember]</ref>

Early Chinese literature refers to the Yellow River simply as ''He'' ({{linktext|河}}), the word that has come to mean simply "river" in modern language (in ancient times, however, {{linktext|川}} and {{linktext|水}} were used in the meaning "river"). The first appearance of the name "Yellow River" ({{linktext|黃|河}}) is in the [[Book of Han]] ({{zh
|t=漢書
|s=汉书
|p=Hàn Shū}}) written in the [[Western Han]] dynasty (206 BC–AD 9). The name "Yellow River" describes the perennial [[ochre]]-[[yellow]] [[hue|colour]] of the muddy water in the lower course of the river. The yellow color comes from [[loess]] suspended in the water.

Sometimes the Yellow River is poetically called the "Muddy Flow" ({{zh|s={{linktext|浊|流}}|t={{linktext|濁|流}}|p={{linktext|Zhuó| Liú}}}}). The Chinese idiom "when the Yellow River flows clear" is used to refer to an event that will never happen and is similar to the English expression "when pigs fly".

In [[Qinghai]], its Tibetan name is "river of the peacock" ({{bo|t=|w=r Ma chu}}, p maqu 玛曲/瑪曲).

==Yellow River in culture==
[[File:MotherHuanghe2.jpg|right|thumb|The "Mother River" monument in [[Lanzhou]]]]

;Mother river, China's Sorrow.
Traditionally, it is believed that the Chinese civilization originated in the Yellow River basin. The Chinese refer to the river as "the Mother River" and "the cradle of the [[Chinese civilization]]".
During the long [[history of China]], the Yellow River has been considered a blessing as well as a curse and has been [[nickname]]d both "China's Pride" ({{zh
|t={{linktext|中|國|的|驕|傲}}
|s=中国的骄傲
|p=''{{linktext|Zhōngguó|de| Jiāo'ào}}''}}) and "China's Sorrow"<ref>Berkshire encyclopedia of China, page 1125 ISBN 978-0-9770159-4-8</ref> ({{zh
|t={{linktext|中|國|的|痛}}
|s=中国的痛
|p=''{{linktext|Zhōngguó|de| Tòng}}''}}).

== History of the changing Yellow River ==
{{see|List of natural disasters by death toll}}

The river is extremely prone to [[flooding]]. It has flooded 1,593 times in the last 3,000–4,000 years, while its main course changed 12 times{{When|date=March 2009}}{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}, with at least 5 large-scale changes{{Which?|date=March 2009}} from 602 BC to present. Another source<ref>T.R Tregear, 'A Geography of China', 1965, page 218</ref> says more than 1,500 inundations and 26 changes of course (9 major) in the last 3,000 years. These course changes are due to the large amount of [[loess]] carried by the river and continuously deposited along the bottom of the river's canal. This sedimentation causes a natural [[dam]] to slowly accrue. Eventually, the enormous amount of waters have to find a new way to the sea, causing a flood in a new valley. Flooding was unpredictable, causing difficulty to farmers.

===Ancient times===
Historical maps from the [[Qin Dynasty]] (221 - 206 BCE)<ref>[http://homepages.stmartin.edu/fac_staff/rlangill/HIS%20217%20maps/Qin%20dynasty%20map.JPG Qin Dynasty Map]</ref> indicate that the Yellow River at that time flowed considerably north of its present course. These maps show that after the river passed [[Luoyang]] it flowed along the border between [[Shanxi]] and [[Henan]] Provinces then continued along the border between [[Hebei]] and Shandong before emptying into [[Bohai Bay]] near present-day [[Tianjin]].

Major floods in 11 CE are said to be the reason for the fall of the [[Qin dynasty]] (9 - 23 CE), when the river once more changed its course from the north, near Tianjin, to the south of the [[Shandong Peninsula]].

According to Tregear, in the 10th century BC one branch followed the present course while a larger one reached the sea near Tianjin by several routes, in 602BC it shifted to south of Shantung, in AD 70 returned to its present course, in 1048 it moved to Tianjin, in 1324 it returned to south of Shantung and in 1851 it took its present course.

===Medieval times===
[[File:Yellow River, Qing Dynasty.jpg|thumb|The yellow river as depicted in Qing Dynasty Chinese landscape painting]]
A major course change in 1194<ref name="R. Grousset">See The rise and splendour of the Chinese Empire, René Grousset, University of California press, 1959, 3rd printing, page 303 (map) : the map show that the Yellow River used the Huai river course '''from 1194 to 1853'''.</ref> took over the [[Huai River]] drainage system throughout the next 700 years. The mud in the Yellow River blocked the mouth of the Huai River and left thousands homeless. The Yellow River adopted its present course in 1897 after the previous course change occurred in 1855. Currently, the Yellow River flows through [[Jinan]], capital of the [[Shandong]] province, and ends in the [[Bohai Sea]], yet the eastern terminus for the Yellow River has oscillated from points north and south of the [[Shandong Peninsula]] in its many dramatic shifts over time.<ref name="R. Grousset"/><ref>Needham, Joseph. (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 1, Introductory Orientations''. Taipei: Caves Books. Ltd. Page 68.</ref>

The course of the river changed back and forth between the route of the Huai River and the original route of the Yellow River several times over the past 700 years. The consequent buildup of silt deposits was so heavy that the Huai River was unable to flow in its historic course after the Yellow River reverted to its northerly course for the last time in 1897.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} Instead, the water pools up into [[Hongze Lake]] and then runs southward toward the [[Yangtze River]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

The river's floods account for some of the deadliest [[natural disaster]]s ever recorded. The flatness of [[North China Plain]] contributes to the deadliness of the floods. A slight rise in water level means a large portion of land is completely covered in water. When a flood occurs, a portion of the population initially dies from drowning, then by the spread of diseases and the ensuing famine.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

*The [[1887 Yellow River flood]] in the [[North China Plain]] caused an estimated 900,000 to 2,000,000 deaths.<ref name="internationalrivers.org">[http://internationalrivers.org/files/Deluge2007_full.pdf International Rivers Report, "Before the Deluge" 2007]</ref>

===Recent times===
The river gets its yellow color mostly from the fine-grained calcareous [[silt]] which originates in the [[Loess Plateau]] and is carried in the flow. Centuries of silt deposition and [[Dike (construction)|diking]] has caused the river to flow above the surrounding farmland, making flooding a critically dangerous problem. Flooding of the Yellow River has caused some of the highest [[death toll]]s in world history, with the [[1887 Huang He flood]] killing 900,000 to 2,000,000 and the [[1931 Huang He flood]] killing an estimated 1,000,000 to 4,000,000 on the [[North China Plain]].<ref name="internationalrivers.org"/>

[[File:1938 June Yellow River.gif|right|thumb|Soldiers during the 1938 Yellow River flood]]
On June 9, 1938, during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]], the [[Kuomintang|Nationalist]] troops under [[Chiang Kai-Shek]] broke the levees holding back the river near the village of [[Huayuankou]] in [[Henan]]<ref name=seldon>[http://books.google.com/books?id=D0icvm2EQLIC&pg=PA168 Mark Selden, "War and State Terrorism: The United States, Japan, and the Asia-Pacific in the Long Twentieth Century (War and Peace Library)", Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (November 22, 2003)]</ref> causing [[1938 Yellow River flood|major flooding]]. The goal of the operation was to stop the advancing [[Japan]]ese troops following a strategy of "using water as a substitute for soldiers" (yishui daibing). This resulted in the [[1938 Yellow River flood|flooding]] of an area covering 54,000&nbsp;km² and took some 500,000–900,000 (890,000<ref>Zhongguo baike dacidian, page 682, ISBN 7-80053-835-4</ref><ref>Zhongguo ge ming shi ci dian, page 301, ISBN 7-80019-054-4</ref>) lives while an unknown number of Japanese soldiers were killed.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} The flood prevented the Japanese army from taking the city of [[Zhengzhou]], but did not stop them from reaching their goal of capturing [[Wuhan]], the city that served as the temporary capital of China at the time.<ref name=seldon/>

Another historical source of devastating floods is the collapse of upstream [[ice dam]]s in [[Inner Mongolia]] with an accompanying sudden release of vast quantities of impounded water. There have been 11 such major floods in the past century, each causing tremendous loss of life and property. Nowadays, explosives dropped from aircraft are used to break the ice dams before they become dangerous.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

==Characteristics==
{{Refimprove|section|date=May 2009}}

Its average discharge is said to be 2,110 cubic meters per second (32,000 for the Yangtze), with a maximum of 25,000 and minimum of 245.

The Yellow River is notable for the large amount of [[silt]] it carries—1.6 billion tons annually at the point where it descends from the [[Loess Plateau]]. If it is running to the sea with sufficient volume, 1.4 billion tons are carried to the sea annually.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

In modern times, since 1972 when it first dried up, the river has dried up in its lower reaches many times, from [[Jinan]] to the sea in most years, in 1997 for 226 days. The low volume is due to increased agricultural [[irrigation]], by a factor of five since 1950. Water diverted from the river as of 1999 served 140 million people and irrigated 74,000&nbsp;km² (48,572&nbsp;mi²) of land. The highest volume occurs during the rainy season, from July to October, when 60% of the annual volume of the river flows. Maximum demand for irrigation is needed between March and June. In order to capture excess water for use when needed, and for flood control and electricity generation, several dams have been built, but due to the high silt load their life is expected to be limited. A proposed [[South-North Water Transfer Project]] involves several schemes to divert water from the [[Yangtze River]], one in the western headwaters of the rivers where they are closest to one another, another from the upper reaches of the [[Han River (Hanshui)|Han River]], and a third using the route of the [[Grand Canal of China|Grand Canal]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

Due to its heavy load of silt the Yellow River is a [[depositing stream]], that is, it deposits part of its carried burden of soil in its bed in stretches where it is flowing slowly. These deposits elevate the riverbed which flows between [[levee|natural levee]]s in its lower reaches. Should a flood occur, the river may break out of the levees into the surrounding lower flood plain and adopt a new course. Historically this has occurred about once every hundred years. In modern times, considerable effort has been made to strengthen levees and control floods.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

The Yellow River floods for two reasons. First, the [[North China Plain]] is extremely flat and there is no natural valley. It has reached the sea at many points from [[Tianjin]] to [[Shanghai]] except for the mountain region of [[Shantung]]. Second, silt from the [[Loess Plateau]] makes the river very muddy, which is why the river is called 'yellow'. One estimate <ref>T.R. Tregear, 'A Geography of China,1965,page 219</ref> gives 34 kilograms of silt per cubic meter as opposed to 10 for the Colorado and 1 for the Nile. Once the river leaves the Shanxi Plateau this silt is deposited in the river bed. Eventually the river bed becomes too shallow and the river is forced to find a new course. People responded by building levees along the banks but silt deposition continued forcing people to build the levees higher. When flood water eventually broke through the levees it could not drain back into the river bed as it would after a normal flood since the river bed was now higher than the surrounding country.

The Yellow River delta totals 8,000 square kilometers (3,090&nbsp;mi²). However, since 1996 it has been reported to be shrinking slightly each year through erosion.<ref>"Yellow River Delta Shrinking 7.6 Square Kilometers Annually", ''China Daily'' February 1, 2005, retrieved 14 September 2006 from http://china.org.cn/english/2005/Feb/119497.htm</ref>

==Pollution==
On 25 November 2008 Tania Branigan of the guardian.co.uk, filed a report China's ''Mother river'', the Yellow River, claiming that severe pollution has made one-third of China's Yellow River unusable even for agricultural or industrial use, due to factory discharges and sewage from fast-expanding cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/25/water-china|title= One-third of China's Yellow River 'unfit for drinking or agriculture' Factory waste and sewage from growing cities has severely polluted major waterway, according to Chinese research|last=Tania Branigan |date=25 November 2008|publisher=guardian.co.uk|accessdate=2009-03-14}}</ref>

The survey, based on data taken last year, covered more than 8,384 miles of the river, one of the longest waterways in the world, and its tributaries.

The Yellow River Conservancy Committee, in 2007 surveyed more than 8,384 miles of the river, said 33.8% of the river system registered worse than level five. According to criteria used by the UN Environment Program, level five is unfit for drinking, aquaculture, industrial use and even agriculture.

The report said waste and sewage discharged into the system last year totaled 4.29bn tonnes. Industry and manufacturing made up 70% of the discharge into the river, with households accounting for 23% and just over 6% coming from other sources.

==Geography==
{{Refimprove|section|date=May 2009}}
According to China Exploration and Research Society, the source of the Yellow River is at 34 29 31.1N, 96 20 24.6E near the eastern edge of [[Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture]]. The source tribituaries drain into [[Gyaring Lake]] and [[Ngoring Lake]] on the western edge of [[Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture|Golog Prefecture]] high in the Bayan Har Mountains in [[Qinghai Province]] in the far west of China. In the Zoige Basin along the boundary with Gansu Province, the Yellow River loops northwest and then northeast before turning south, creating the "[[Ordos Loop]]", and then flows generally eastward across northern China to the [[Bohai Sea|Gulf of Bohai]], draining a [[drainage basin|basin]] of 752,443&nbsp;km² (290,520&nbsp;mi²) which nourishes 120 million people.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

The river is commonly divided into three stages. These are roughly the northeast of the [[Tibetan Plateau]], the [[Ordos Loop]] and the [[North China Plain]]. However, different scholars have different opinions on how the three stages are divided.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} This article adopts the division used by the Yellow River Conservancy Commission.<ref>[http://www.yellowriver.gov.cn/ Yellow River Conservancy Commission]</ref>

===Upper reaches===
[[File:Yellow river - A. Holdrinet.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The Yellow River, near [[Xunhua]], in Eastern Qinghai. Note the yellow water, caused by [[loess]].]]

The upper reaches of the Yellow River constitute a segment starting from its source in the Bayan Har Mountains and ending at Hekou County of [[Inner Mongolia]] just before it turns sharply to the north. This segment has a total length of 3,472&nbsp;km (2,160&nbsp;mi) and total basin area of 386,000&nbsp;km² (149,035&nbsp;mi²), 51.4% of the total basin area. Along this length, the elevation of the Yellow River drops 3496 metres, with an average drop of 0.01%.

The source section flows mainly through pastures, swamps, and knolls between the [[Bayan Har Mountains]], 巴顏喀啦山脈, and the Anemaqen ([[Amne Machin]]) Mountains. The river water is clear and flows steadily. Crystal clear lakes are characteristic of this section. The two main lakes along this section are Lake Zhaling (扎陵湖) and Lake Eling (鄂陵湖), with capacities of 4.7 billion and 10.8 billion m³, respectively. At elevations over 4,290 m (13,976&nbsp;ft) above sea level they are the largest two plateau freshwater lakes in China. A significant amount of land in the Yellow River's source area has been designated as the [[Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve|Sanjiangyuan ("'Three Rivers' Sources") National Nature Reserve]], to protect the source region of the Yellow River, the [[Yangtze]], and the [[Mekong]].

The valley section stretches from Longyang Gorge in [[Qinghai]] to Qingtong Gorge in [[Gansu]]. Steep cliffs line both sides of the river. The water bed is narrow and the average drop is large, so the flow in this section is extremely turbulent and fast. There are 20 gorges in this section, the most famous of these being the [[Longyang]], Jishi, [[Liujiaxia Dam|Liujia]], Bapan, and [[Qingtong]] gorges. The flow conditions in this section makes it the best location for [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] plants.

After emerging from the Qingtong Gorge, the river comes into a section of vast alluvial plains, the [[Yinchuan Plain]] and [[Hetao Plain]]. In this section, the regions along the river are mostly [[deserts]] and [[grasslands]], with very few tributaries. The flow is slow. The Hetao Plain has a length of 900&nbsp;km (560&nbsp;mi) and width of 30 to 50&nbsp;km (20–30&nbsp;mi). It is historically the most important irrigation plain along the Yellow River.

===Middle reaches===
[[File:Lanzhou-rio-amarillo-d01.jpg|right|thumb|Yellow River at [[Lanzhou]]]]
The part of the Yellow River (see [[Ordos Loop]]) between Hekou County in [[Inner Mongolia]] and [[Zhengzhou]] in [[Henan]] constitutes the middle reaches of the river. The middle reaches are 1,206&nbsp;km (749&nbsp;mi) long, with a basin area of 344,000&nbsp;km² (132,820&nbsp;mi²), 45.7% of the total, with a total elevation drop of 890 meters (2,920&nbsp;ft), an average drop of 0.074%. There are 30 large tributaries along the middle reaches, and the water flow is increased by 43.5% on this stage. The middle reaches contribute 92% of the river's silts.

The middle stream of the Yellow River passes through the [[Loess Plateau]], where substantial erosion takes place. The large amount of mud and sand discharged into the river makes the Yellow River the most [[sediment]]-laden river in the world. The highest recorded annual level of silts discharged into the Yellow River is 3.91 billion tons in 1933. The highest silt concentration level was recorded in 1977 at 920&nbsp;kg/m³. These sediments later deposit in the slower lower reaches of the river, elevating the [[river bed]] and creating the famous "river above ground". In [[Kaifeng]], the Yellow River is 10 meters (33&nbsp;ft) above the ground level.<ref>[http://www.cis.umassd.edu/~gleung/geofo/geogren.html Yellow River: Geographic and Historical Settings]</ref>

From Hekou County to Yumenkou, the river passes through the longest series of continuous valleys on its main course, collectively called the Jinshan Valley. The abundant hydrodynamic resources stored in this section make it the second most suitable area to build hydroelectric power plants. The famous [[Hukou Waterfall]] is in the lower part of this valley.

===Lower reaches===

In the lower reaches, from Zhengzhou to the sea, a distance of 786&nbsp;km (488&nbsp;mi), the river is confined to a [[levee]]-lined course as it flows to the northeast across the [[North China Plain]] before emptying into the [[Gulf of Bohai|Bohai Sea]]. The basin area in this stage is only 23,000&nbsp;km² (8,880&nbsp;mi²), 3% of the total. The total drop in elevation of the lower reaches is 93.6&nbsp;m (307&nbsp;ft), with an average drop of 0.012%.

The silts received from the middle reaches form sediments here, elevating the river bed. During 2,000 years of levee construction, excessive sediment deposits have raised the riverbed several meters above the surrounding ground. Few tributaries add to the flow in this stage; nearly all rivers to the south drain into the [[Huai River]], whereas those to the north drain into the [[Hai River]].

==Tributaries==
[[File:5922-Daxia-River-fall-into-Liujiaxia-Reservoir.jpg|thumb|The fall of the [[Daxia River]] (coming from bottom right) into the Yellow River's [[Liujiaxia Reservoir]]]]
Tributaries of the Yellow River include (upstream to downstream (?)
*[[White River]] (白河)
*[[Black River]] (黑河)
*[[Star River]] (湟水)
*[[Daxia River]] (大夏河)
*[[Tao River]] (洮河)
*[[Zuli River]] (祖厉河/祖厲河)
*[[Qingshui River]] (清水河)
*[[Dahei River]] (大黑河)
*[[Kuye River]] (窟野河)
*[[Wuding River]] (无定河/無定河)
*[[Fen River]] (汾河)
*[[Wei River]] (渭河)
*[[Luo River (Henan)|Luo River]] (洛河)
*[[Qin River]] (沁河)
*[[Dawen River]] (大汶河)
*[[Kuo River]] ()

The Wei River is the largest of these tributaries.

==Hydroelectric power dams==
[[File:6058-Liujiaxia-Dam.jpg|thumb|[[Liujiaxia Dam]]]]
Below is the list of [[hydroelectric]] power stations built on the Yellow River, arranged according to the year to start operation (in brackets):

*[[Sanmen Gorge]] hydroelectric power station (1960)
*Sanshenggong hydroelectric power station (1966)
*[[Qingtong Gorge]] hydroelectric power station (1968) ([[Qingtongxia City]], [[Ningxia]])
*[[Liujiaxia Dam|Liujiaxia]] (Liujia Gorge) hydroelectric power station (1974) ([[Yongjing County]], [[Gansu]])
*[[Yanguoxia Dam|Yanguoxia]] (Yanguo Gorge) hydroelectric power station (1975) ([[Yongjing County]], [[Gansu]])
*Tianqiao hydroelectric power station (1977)
*[[Bapanxia Dam|Bapanxia]] (Bapan Gorge) hydroelectric power station (1980) ([[Xigu District]], Gansu)
*[[Longyang Gorge]] hydroelectric power station (1992) ([[Qinghai]])
*[[Da Gorge]] hydroelectric power station (1998)
*[[Li Gorge]] hydroelectric power station (1999)
*Wanjiazhai hydroelectric power station (1999)
*[[Xiaolangdi]] hydroelectric power station (2001) ([[Jiyuan]], [[Henan]])
*[[Laxiwa Dam|Laxiwa]] hydroelectric power station (2010) ([[Guide County]], [[Qinghai]])

As reported in 2000, the 7 largest hydro power plants (Longyangxia, Lijiaxia, Liujiaxia, Yanguoxia, Bapanxia, Daxia and Qinglongxia) had the total installed capacity of 5,618 MW.<ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200012/14/eng20001214_57817.html Yellow River Upstream Important to West-East Power Transmission] People's Daily, December 14, 2000</ref>

==Provinces and cities==
Originating in the [[Bayan Har Mountains]], the Yellow River passes through seven [[Province (China)|provinces]] and two [[Autonomous regions of China|Autonomous Regions]], namely [[Qinghai]], [[Gansu]], [[Ningxia]], [[Inner Mongolia]], [[Shaanxi]], [[Shanxi]], [[Henan]], and [[Shandong]]. The mouth of the Yellow River is located at [[Dongying]], [[Shandong]].

The provinces of [[Hebei]] and [[Henan]] derive their names from the ''Huang He''. Their names mean respectively "north of the (Yellow) River" and "south of the (Yellow) River".

Major cities located along the Yellow River include, starting from the source, [[Lanzhou]], [[Yinchuan]], [[Wuhai]], [[Baotou]], [[Luoyang]], [[Zhengzhou]], [[Kaifeng]], and [[Jinan]].

==Crossings==
[[File:Yellow river pontoon bridge jinan 2008 05.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pontoon bridge]] (Luokou pontoon bridge {{zh
|s={{linktext|洛口浮桥}}
|t=洛口浮橋
|p=Luòkŏu Fúqiáo}}) over the Yellow River in [[Jinan]]]]
The main bridges and ferries by the province names in the order of downstream to upstream are:<ref>[http://baike.baidu.com/view/470993.htm Yellow River Bridges (Baidu Encyclopedia)] (in Chinese)</ref><ref>[http://image.baidu.com/i?tn=baiduimage&ct=201326592&lm=-1&cl=2&fm=ps&word=%BB%C6%BA%D3%B4%F3%C7%C5 Yellow River Bridge Photos (Baidu)] (in Chinese</ref><ref>[http://image.baidu.com/i?ct=201326592&cl=2&lm=-1&tn=baiduimage&pv=&word=%BB%C6%BA%D3%B9%AB%C2%B7%B4%F3%C7%C5&z=0&fm=rs8 Yellow River Highway Bridge Photos (Baidu)] (in Chinese)</ref>

[[Shandong]]
* [[Shengli Yellow River Bridge]]
*[[Binzhou Yellow River Highway Bridge]]
*[[Sunkou Yellow River Highway Bridge]]
*[[Zhongshan Bridge]]
*[[Jinan Yellow River Bridge]] ({{zh
|s={{linktext|济|南|黄|河|大|桥}}
|t=濟南黃河大橋
|p=Jǐnán Huánghé Dà Qiáo}}, {{coord|36|45|23.49|N|117|1|54.54|E|region:CN_type:landmark|display=inline}})

[[Henan]]
* [[Kaifeng Yellow River Bridge]] ([[Kaifeng]])
* [[Zhengzhou Yellow River Bridge]] ([[Zhengzhou]])

[[Shanxi]] and [[Henan]]
* [[Sanmen Yellow River Bridge]] ([[Sanmenxia]])

[[Shaanxi]] and [[Henan]]
* [[Hancheng Yumenkou Yellow River Bridge]]

[[Ningxia]]
* [[Yinchuan Yellow River Bridge]] ([[Yinchuan]])

[[Inner Mongolia]]
* [[Baotou Yellow River Bridge]] ([[Baotou]])

[[Gansu]]
* [[Lanzhou Yellow River Bridge]] ([[Lanzhou]])
* [[Lanzhou Zhongshan Bridge]] (Lanzhou)

[[Qinghai]]
* [[Dari Yellow River Bridge]] ([[Dari County|Dari]])
* Zalinghu crossing

==See also==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
*[[1938 Yellow River flood]]
*[[Central Plain (China)]]
*[[Geography of China]]
*[[Grand Canal of China]]
*[[List of rivers in China]]
*[[North China Plain]]
*[[North China University of Water Conservancy and Electric Power]]
*[[Water resources of China]]
*[[Yellow River Cantata]]
*[[Yellow River Piano Concerto]]
*[[Yellow Sea]]
*[[Red sea]]
</div>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*Sinclair, Kevin. 1987. ''The Yellow River: A 5000 Year Journey Through China''. (Based on the television documentary). Child & Associates Publishing, Chatswood, Sydney, Australia. ISBN 0-86777-347-2

==External links==
{{commonscat|Huang He}}
*[http://www.yellowriver.gov.cn/eng/ Yellow River Conservancy Commission:Yellow River]
*[http://www.cis.umassd.edu/~gleung/ Yellow River] at [[University of Massachusetts Dartmouth]]
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/chinese-music/Pre_Liberation/D03.Yellow_River_Ballad.au Listen to the ''Yellow River Ballade''] from the [[Yellow River Cantata]]
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/world/asia/19yellowriver.html "A Troubled River Mirrors China’s Path to Modernity"], ''New York Times'' November 19, 2006
*[http://www.shangri-la-river-expeditions.com/1stdes/yellow/yellowsummary.html First raft descent] of the Yellow River from its source in Qinghai to its mouth (1987)
*[http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/stop-climate-change/our-work/expeditions/yellow-river-at-risk Yellow River at risk - Greenpeace China]
*[[Hair dye]]

{{Seven Great River of China}}
{{coord|34|55|19|N|97|30|43|E|region:CN_type:river_source:dewiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Yellow River]]

{{Link GA|zh-classical}}

[[am:ቢጫው ወንዝ]]
[[ar:النهر الأصفر]]
[[bn:হুয়াংহো]]
[[zh-min-nan:N̂g-hô]]
[[bo:རྨ་ཆུ།]]
[[bs:Žuta rijeka]]
[[bg:Хуанхъ]]
[[ca:Riu Groc]]
[[cs:Žlutá řeka]]
[[cy:Huang He]]
[[da:Den Gule Flod]]
[[de:Gelber Fluss]]
[[et:Huang He]]
[[es:Río Amarillo]]
[[eo:Flava Rivero]]
[[eu:Huang He]]
[[fa:هوانگ هو]]
[[fr:Huang He]]
[[fy:Giele Rivier]]
[[gl:Río Amarelo]]
[[ko:황하]]
[[hi:ह्वांगहो]]
[[hr:Huang He]]
[[id:Sungai Kuning]]
[[it:Fiume Giallo]]
[[he:הנהר הצהוב]]
[[jv:Kali Kuning]]
[[sw:Mto Njano]]
[[la:Flumen Luteum]]
[[lv:Huanhe]]
[[lb:Huang He]]
[[lt:Chvangchė]]
[[hu:Sárga-folyó]]
[[mr:ह्वांग हो नदी]]
[[my:မြစ်ဝါမြစ်]]
[[nl:Gele Rivier]]
[[ja:黄河]]
[[no:Huang He]]
[[oc:Fluvi Jaune]]
[[pnb:دریائے زدر]]
[[pl:Huang He]]
[[pt:Rio Amarelo]]
[[ro:Fluviul Galben]]
[[qu:Q'illu mayu]]
[[ru:Хуанхэ]]
[[sa:हुआंग हे नदी]]
[[sq:Lumi Huang He]]
[[simple:Yellow River]]
[[sk:Chuang-che]]
[[sl:Rumena reka]]
[[sr:Хоангхо]]
[[sh:Huang Ho]]
[[fi:Keltainenjoki]]
[[sv:Huanghe]]
[[tl:Ilog na Dilaw]]
[[ta:மஞ்சள் ஆறு]]
[[th:แม่น้ำหวง]]
[[tg:Дарёи Ҳуанг Ҳе]]
[[tr:Sarı Irmak]]
[[uk:Хуанхе]]
[[ur:دریائے زرد]]
[[ug:سېرىق دەريا]]
[[za:Dahvangzhoz]]
[[vi:Hoàng Hà]]
[[zh-classical:黃河]]
[[wuu:黃河]]
[[zh-yue:黃河]]
[[zh:黄河]]

Revision as of 19:18, 23 September 2010

why ur gonna make her not like me