The Xiang River is the chief river of the

Lake Dongting Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the la ...

drainage system of the middle

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

, the largest river in

Hunan Province Hunan is an inland province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Guangdong and Guangxi to the south, and Guizhou and Chon ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. It is the second-largest

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''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 into which they ...

(after the Min River) in terms of

surface runoff Surface runoff (also known as overland flow or terrestrial runoff) is the unconfined flow of water over the ground surface, in contrast to ''channel runoff'' (or ''stream flow''). It occurs when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other ...

, the fifth-largest tributary by

drainage area A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, th ...

of the Yangtze tributaries. The river flows generally northeast through the provinces of

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

and Hunan, its tributaries reaching into

Jiangxi ; Gan: ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = , translit_lang1_type3 = , translit_lang1_info3 = , image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_caption = Location ...

and

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

. Traditionally, it was regarded that the West (left) Branch is the Main Stream of the Upper Xiang, which rises in the '' Haiyang Mountains'' between Xing'an and Lingchuan counties of Guangxi. In the 1st national water census of China in 2011, the East Branch

Xiao River The Xiao River ( zh, c=瀟水, p=Xiāoshuǐ ) is the Main Stream of the upper Xiang River located in Yongzhou, Hunan. As of 2011 Water Census of China, it has a length of from the headwaters to the confluence in the Ping Island of Yongzhou with t ...

,湘江源头在湖南蓝山, 湘江干流全长948公里, 流域面积94,721平方公里 - When the source stream of the Xiang is the Xiao, beginning in

Lanshan County Lanshan County () is a county of Hunan Province, China. It is under the administration of Yongzhou prefecture-level City. Located on the south margin of the province, it is adjacent to the northern border of Guangdong. Lanshan covers . In 2015, i ...

, the main river of the Xiang has a length of with a

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

area of :
hn.xinhuanet.com
o

was identified as the Main Stem of the Upper Xiang. The

Ping Island Ping Island () is a river island with a general perimeter of about and an area of in the middle north of Lingling District, Yongzhou, Hunan. As one of the main attractions in Yongzhou, it is located at the confluence of the east branch and wes ...

Yongzhou Yongzhou () is a prefecture-level city in the south of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, located on the southern bank of the Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao River, Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and bordering Guang ...

is the meeting of the two streams, the West source originating from

and the East source of the Xiao River originating from

of Hunan. With the tributaries, the Xiang has a

river basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, th ...

area of , of which Hunan has an area of . In a situation of Guangxi source, the Xiang has a length of ; In another situation of

as the main source stream, the Xiang has a length of .

Geography

The Upper Xiang River has two large Branches, the West (left) and East (right). The West Branch is traditionally known as the main stream, originating from the '' Haiyang Mountains'' in

Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''), postal map romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as Kweilin, is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the we ...

. In

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

, there had been debate on whether or not this tradition of regarding the West Branch as the main stream is actually founded. According to the ''2011 national Water Census of China'', it is the East Branch, not the West, that should be regarded as the main stream of the Xiang. This is because it is both longer and contributes a greater volume of water than the western branch. The east branch retains the name of

, and it rises in ''Yegou Mountain'' (野狗岭) of Xiangjiangyuan Township (湘江源瑶族乡) in

, Hunan. The two branches converge at ''Ping Island'' to form the Main Stem of the Xiang. The Main Stem is located in the eastern part of Hunan. The Xiang generally flows southwest to northeast from

Lingling District Lingling District is one of two urban districts of Yongzhou City, Hunan Province, China. It is located on the south of the city proper, and lies to the eastern border of Guangxi. The district is bordered to the north by Dong'an County and L ...

Xiangyin County Xiangyin County () is a Counties of China, county in Hunan, Hunan Province, China, under the administration of Yueyang, Yueyang City. Located on the southeastern shores of Dongting Lake, Lake Dongting, the Xiang River runs south to north through t ...

, and empties into the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

via

Upper Course

The Left Branch, also known as the ''West Branch'' of the upper course is traditionally known the upper Xiang River, the portion of the Xiang River upstream called ''Xiangshui River'' (湘水). From the

headwaters The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...

Xing'an County Xing'an County is a county (China), county in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It is administered as part of the prefecture-level city of Guilin. Its area is , with a population of 370000. The postal code is 541300. Admi ...

, the West Branch flows approximately to ''

'' of

, where it is joined by the

to form the middle Xiang River.about Xiang River in Guangxi Reachers, according to the ''Guangxi General Description'' (广西通志)/Geographica of Guangxi (地理志)/Waters and Rivers (水系水文) - the Yangtze River System (长江水系), se
gxdqw.com (the Yangtze River System in Guangxi)
/ref> Historically it was recognized that the headwaters of the Xiang rise in Haiyang Mountains. People say the Xiang and the

Li River The Li River or Li Jiang ( zh, c=漓江, p=Lí Jiāng) is the name for the upper reaches of the Gui River in northeastern Guangxi, China. It is part of the Xijiang River system in the Pearl River basin, flowing from Xing'an County to Pingle C ...

s share the same origin, because the upper reaches of the two rivers are connected by the ancient

Lingqu Canal The Lingqu () is a canal in Xing'an County, near Guilin, in the northwestern corner of Guangxi, China. It connects the Xiang River (which flows north into the Yangtze) with the Li River (Guangxi), Li River (which flows south into the Gui ...

, which is located in

. According to a traditional saying, 70% of the water in Lingqu flows into the Xiang and 30% flows into the Li River. In the past, the canal, along with the Xiang River and the

Gui River The Gui River ( zh, s=桂江, p=Guì Jiāng) is a river in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding ...

provided an important waterway connecting the Yangtze River with the

Pearl River Delta The Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary, where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea. Referred to as the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area in official documents, ...

.Lingqu Canal (Xiang'an County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Qin Dynasty)
(Nomination for the UNESCO Heritage List)

Xiao River

The ''

'' is the East Branch of the upper course. As of 2011 Water Census of China, it may be regarded as the Main Stream of the upper Xiang River. Xiao rises in Xiangjiangyuan Township of

, from the headwaters to

at the confluence with the West Branch (Left Branch) from Guangxi, it runs . With the tributaries, the Xiao River has a

area of .

Tributaries

In culture

In the

Chinese folk religion Chinese folk religion comprises a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. This includes the veneration of ''Shen (Chinese folk religion), shen'' ('spirits') and Chinese ancestor worship, ances ...

, the river is protected by the " Xiang River goddesses" or "Xiang Consorts" Ehuang and

Nüying The Xiangshuishen or Xiang River Goddesses are goddesses (or spirits and sometimes gods) of the Xiang River in Chinese folk religion. The Xiang flowed into Dongting Lake through the ancient kingdom of Chu (state), Chu, whose songs in their worship ...

. They are said to have been the daughters of the legendary ruler Yao and the wives of his successor Shun. Unable to bear the pain of their husband's death, they committed suicide in this river. An

etiological myth An origin myth is a type of myth that explains the beginnings of a natural or social aspect of the world. Creation myths are a type of origin myth narrating the formation of the universe. However, numerous cultures have stories that take place af ...

relates the spots on the

spotted bamboo Spotted bamboo refers to several types of bamboo with stems that are mottled by dark spots, sometimes considered to be within the genus ''Phyllostachys'' and forms of ''Phyllostachys bambusoides'', also known as teardrop bamboo and as mottled bamb ...

(), also known as the Xiang bamboo ( or ), Xiang Consort bamboo (), and teardrop bamboo (), to the tears of the weeping consorts. They were worshipped in some form by the people of

Chu Chu or CHU may refer to: Chinese history * Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty * Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu * Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the H ...

during the

Warring States The Warring States period in Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and struggles for gre ...

and its poet

Qu Yuan Qu Yuan ( – 278 BC) was a Chinese poet and aristocrat in the State of Chu during the Warring States period. He is known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the '' ...

is credited with writing the "Ladies Xiang" () to document the ritual songs in their honor. The late Tang Dynasty poet

Yu Wuling Yu Wuling (810–?) was a Chinese poet of the late Tang dynasty. His birth name was Yu Ye; ''Wuling'' was his courtesy name. He attained a ''jinshi'' degree in the imperial examination, but gave up his position in order to wander around the ...

is supposed to have been fond of the scenery along the Xiang River. The classic Chinese novel ''

The Dream of the Red Chamber ''Dream of the Red Chamber'' or ''The Story of the Stone'' is an 18th-century Chinese novel authored by Cao Xueqin, considered to be one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It is known for its psychological scope and its ...

'' includes a character

Shi Xiangyun Shi Xiangyun () is a major fictional character in the classic 18th century Chinese novel '' Dream of the Red Chamber'', one of the characters known as the Twelve Beauties. She is Jia Baoyu's younger second cousin by the Dowager, Grandmother Jia. ...

who takes one of the

characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...

of her

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A person ...

from the river.

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...

's '' Shian Kian Weekly Review'', founded on 14 June 1919, publicized

Marxism Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

Major cities along the river

Hengyang Hengyang (; ) is the second largest city of Hunan Province, China. It straddles the Xiang River about south of the provincial capital of Changsha. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Its total population was 6,645,243 inhabitants, of whom 1,290,71 ...

Zhuzhou Zhuzhou ( zh, c=株洲, p=Zhūzhōu, ), formerly Jianning (建宁), is a prefecture-level city of Hunan Province, China, straddling the Xiang River southeast of the provincial capital, Changsha, and bordering Jiangxi province to the east. It is ...

Xiangtan Xiangtan ( zh, s=湘潭) is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal P ...

References

Citations

Sources

* . *

External links

* {{Coord, 29, 26, N, 113, 8, E, display=title Rivers of Hunan Rivers of Guangxi Tributaries of the Yangtze River