Zhu Jiang

 

Chin. Zhujiang, river, 110 mi (177 km) long, S Guangdong prov., S China. Formed at Guangzhou by the confluence of the Xi and Bei rivers, it flows E then S past Guangzhou and Huangpu island to form a large estuary between Hong Kong and Macao. The river links Guangzhou to Hong Kong and the South China Sea and is one of China's most important waterways and one of the centers of its world trade. It is vitally important to the special economic zones that lie along its estuary. The estuary, called Boca Tigris, is kept open for ocean vessels by dredging.

The Zhu Jiang, (Chinese: 珠江 Pinyin: Zhū Jiāng), or Pearl River, is China's third longest river (2,200 km, after the Yangtze River and the Yellow River), and second largest by volume (after the Yangtze). Located in the south, it flows into the South China Sea between Hong Kong and Macau. Its lower reach forms the Pearl River Delta.

The Pearl is also known as Yue Jiang (粵江 "Guangdong River"). It is named after a sandy or stony island in the middle of the river called "Sea Pearl" (海珠). This island is now in the bank, due to the river's change of course.

It is formed by convergence of the Xi Jiang ("the West River"), the Bei Jiang ("the North River"), and the Dong Jiang ("the East River") . The river flows through the majority of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou Provinces, and parts of Hunan and Jiangxi, forming the 409,480 km² Pearl River Basin (珠江流域).

A 500 kV-power line, suspended from three of the tallest pylons in the world, the Pylons of Pearl River Crossing, crosses the river near its mouth.

Zhujiang Brewery, one of the three largest domestic breweries in China, is located on the Pearl River Delta within the city of Guangzhou.

The estuary, Bocca Tigris, is regularly dredged so as to keep it open for ocean vessels.

Settlements

• Guangzhou
• Dongguan

Crossings

• Humen Pearl River Bridge

See also

• List of rivers in China
• Geography of China
• Ship lifts in China

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