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Ranking the 6th largest river in China, the Huaihe River is one of the important rivers in East China. The Huaihe River, an ancient river with a long history, takes its source from the highest Taibai Peak (also known as the Dafu Peak) of Tongbai Mountain in Tongbai County, Henan Province. The ancient temple, the Yuntai Buddhist Temple built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is on the Taibaiding Peak. A clear and limpid artesian well located at the north of the ancient temple is the source of the 1,000-kilometers-long Huaihe River. There are three spring mouths in the well, continuously spraying water.
The Huaihe River valley originates from the western Tongbai Mountain and reaches the eastern Huanghai Sea; its southern boundary consists of Dabie Mountains, the residual part of Wanshan Mountains and the Yangtze River reaches, and its northern boundary consists of the northern bank of the Yellow River, Yimong Mountains and the Yellow River reaches. The Huaihe River valley is located at China’s transition terrain of northern climate and southern climate, so the connecting line of the Huaihe River, Qinling Mountains and the Bailong River has been the geographic boundary of the North and South China from of old.
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After originating from the Taibaiding Peak, the undercurrent of the Huaihe River flows into the cliff, passes through vale and bottomland and winds out the gorge, and it therefrom begins to surge eastwardly. The numerous rivers on the mountainous regions, highlands and sloping fields at the northern side and southern side take advantage of the topographies and flow into the Huaihe River. The Huaihe River takes the waters of thousands of rivers and accepts various tributaries on the way, so the water volume increases rapidly and the water level goes up promptly. Particularly, the Huaihe River sharply becomes a trunk stream after its converging with the Yinghe River at the Zhengyang Pass of Anhui Province, forming so-called marvelous spectacle that the Water of 72 Rivers Flows into Huaihe River at the Zhengyang Pass.
The 382-kilometer long upper reaches of the Huaihe River mean the segment from the river source to the Honghekou Estuary located at the boundary of Henan and Anhui provinces. This segment of the Huaihe River runs across the mountainous regions and highlands, so it has the characteristics of mountainous stream, e.g. the current is rapid and the stream always suddenly rises and drops. The middle reaches of the Huaihe River are from the Honghekou Estuary to the outlet of the Hongze Lake in Jiangsu Province. The northern bank of the middle segment is one part of the Huanghuai Plain, and the southern bank is the Jianghuai Highland (the watershed of the Yangtze River valley and the Huaihe River valley). The lower reaches of the Huaihe River are from the outlet Zhongdu of Hongze Lake to the Biandan Port (Sanjiangying Port) of the Huanghai Sea. The total length of the Huaihe River from the source to the estuary Biandan Port is about 1,000 kilometers.
The whole Huaihe River Valley features a warm climate, fertile soil and rich products. It is China’s earlier developed area in terms of economy and culture.
(Source: chinaculture.org)
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