The She River (''She'' pronounced like "shuh"), also known by its Chinese name Sheshui, is a left

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...

of the

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flow ...

in central China. It has a length of 112 km. The route of the She River was noted in the

Commentary on the Water Classic The ''Commentary on the Water Classic'' (), or ''Commentaries on the Water Classic'', commonly known as ''Shui Jing Zhu'', is a work on the Chinese geography in ancient times, describing the traditional understanding of its waterways and anci ...

. It is the namesake of Shekou in

Huangpi District Huangpi District () is one of 13 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, China, situated on the northern (left) bank of the Yangtze River. The Sheshui enters the Yangtze at Huangpi. The district i ...

Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city a ...

. Shekouxincheng Station is located near the mouth of the She River.

Geography

The headwaters of the She River flow from

Mount Sanjiao Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Co ...

('Triangle Mountain') in Dawu County, Hubei in

Xiaogan Xiaogan () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hubei province, People's Republic of China, some northwest of the provincial capital of Wuhan. According to the 2020 census, its population totaled 4,270,371, of whom 988,479 lived in the built ...

. The river then travels east across Hong'an County in

Huanggang Huanggang is a prefecture-level city in easternmost Hubei Province, China. It is situated to the north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is bounded in the north by the Dabie Mountains and is named after Mount Huanggang. It borde ...

, then entering the Huangpi District of Wuhan. Its watershed area is roughly rectangular in shape. On the lower reaches of the She River, there are several archaeological sites including the Masai archaeological site dating from the

Warring States Period The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...

, the Chengmentan archaeological site ( New Stone Age), and the Sangujing archaeological site.

''Warm Winter on the She River''

The ''Warm Winter on the She River'' (滠水冬温) is one of the ten important aspects of Huangpi District, as recognized from the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. Huanglong, one of the

Eight Immortals The Eight Immortals () are a group of legendary '' xian'' ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel () that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight ...

was named Qi Tianlong, and married Ho Xiangu. They lived on a boat, and often helped others. One year, the rain came down in torrents, the mountains burst, the fertile fields flooded, and the animals were slaughtered. Qi Tianlong and his wife rescued many villagers from the calamities. But the two of them became very tired, and were swept away by the floodwaters. Their bodies were found in the county in the north, and the couple were buried on the banks of the She River. In honor of the couple who saved their lives, the villagers built the Xianyou Tai and Xian You cave in front of the couple's tomb, dedicated to their memory. This touched the Eight Immortals, and every winter solstice after the couple's death, the group gathered here and give a wine libation as a sacrifice.

References

Rivers of Hubei Tributaries of the Yangtze River {{China-river-stub