The Qiantang River (simplified Chinese: 钱塘江; traditional Chinese: 錢塘江; pinyin: Qiántáng Jiāng, also known as the Qian River) is a southeast Chinese river that originates in the borders of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces and passes through Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, before flowing into the East China Sea through Hangzhou Bay.
The lower stream of Qiantang River is known as Fuchun (foo'choon') River, 285 mi (459 km) long in Zhejiang province. An important commercial artery, it flows NE to the East China Sea at Hangzhou.
The First Qiantang River Bridge in Hangzhou was the first steel bridge to span across a major river in China when it was built in the 1930s.
The river is also the southern terminal of the ancient Grand Canal that links five major rivers in China from north to south, enabling traffic north to Beijing from Hangzhou via the Canal.
The Qiantang was previously known under the names Zhe River (Zhejiang, 折江，"crooked river"), Luocha River, or Zhi River. It was re-named "Qiantang" (literally "Qian's pond") in honour of the kings of Wuyue (907-978), whose extensive hydro-engineering schemes in large part ensured the prosperity of the region in later centuries.
Tidal bore
The river and bay are known for the world's largest tidal bore, which is up to 9 metres (30 ft) high, and travels at up to 40 km per hour (25 miles an hour). The tide rushing into the river from the bay causes a bore usually from 5 to 15 ft (1.5–4.6 m) high, which sweeps past Hangzhou and menaces shipping in the harbor. It is so dangerous that, until recently, no one attempting to surf it has managed to remain upright for more than 11 seconds. [1]
In September 2008 a group of American surfers convinced the Chinese government to allow them to surf a section of the river. Personal watercraft were used to safely transport the surfers in and out of the tidal bore.[2]
Tributaries
References
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