During the 40 million years history of the life and 50,000years history of human civilization, Yangtze River, a mother river of the Chinese people,brings up billions of Huaxia people.

Different from the Mississippi, the Niro and the Amason,Yangtze River is the largest river in China,rising from Qinghai Highland at the height over 3,000metres, running through Mt. Wu covering with frog, absorbing thousands of rivers, travelling 6400km until it reach the Pacific. She passes by mountains, gorges, hills, plains, with changing scenes on different geographic shape. She lies on the mid-latitude area, the four seasons are distinc-tive here. The huge flow reaches 97.935billion cubic metres and ships can sail in the lower reaches all the year.

The drainage area is over 1.8 million km,being 19%of the total cultivatable land in the country. Here, the weather is fitful, the products are plentiful,the water resource and the total productive value of the industry and the agriculture are 40%of the total respectively in the country, bringing up about400million persons, 1/3of the population in China.
It was 100,000 years ago that the human beings have lived in the Yangtze drainage area. Lantian Man, Changyang Man, Yunxian Man are all the chinese remote ancestors. And the ancient human remains and ruins of the Old and New stone Ages have been discovered everywhere along the River nowaday. 7000 years ago, our ancestors were fishing, cultivating,planting rices and bringing up descendants here. When it was in civilzed society, varies of distinctive national features were born here. Such as Jingchu Culture, Wu and Yue Cultrue,Bashu Culture and several minority nationalities cultures. They are all the priceless treasure in Chinese traditional cultures.

A place with mountains and rivers is always thought to be a precious land.Water is the reflection of the intelligence and the bearty. The liveing life of the human beings can't being exits without water,the industry and agriculture can't leave water away also. Before trains, airplanes and automobiles were invited, the waterway afforded the facilities on transport and the ship was the important traffic instrument. The water can bring people intelligence and enlighten people soul. Laozi and Zhuangchou got thoughts from mounitains and rivers, who were both the citizens of the ancient Chu in South,de velopped Neo-confucianism and Taoism respectively. Many literary works,poems,dances, musics concerning to Yangtze River have been unique works of China and even of the world. For eam-ple, "Flowing down the high mountain"by Zhong Ziqi in the War Ages has become a world-famous classical melody today.

In the ancient time, the people lived accommodating water that bearing the boat is the same that swallows it ,Yangtze River benefits the human beings while bring flood. Most flood were took place in Yangtze area in the ancient time. On the other hand, the disasters have given Yangtze pelple a lot of experience fighting against the flood and a national characterstics showing a strong will of never giving up.

A fter the human being entered into civilized society, wars,famines have taken place here, aggressors have invaded here. Besides the remote an cestor's remains and ruins, the buildings and the emperors'tombs being remained for several thousands of years,the peaceful history with the scenes of mature rice field extending thousands miles, as well as sad scene of desolation and being full of hungry people have shown up here.

Today,along Yangtze River from the birthplace in Qinghai to the entrance on the Pacific in Shanghai,hundreds of large-and -medium -size vigorous cities are the fastes developing areas in China. As well as unsophiticated farmers with out-of-date production methods and transport instruments there are also modern metropolises changing everyday. The new-borned phenomena accompany with the conservation, the civilization exists with the backwardness.

Yangtze River, the great Mother River, is going on bringing up her people full of hopes and energy. Yangtze River is the symbol of China opening outsides . Chinese rapid development of economy is just like the rippling waves of the River flowing foreward.

Yangtze River is a magic beautiful river,the Changing scense, unsophiticated characteristics, like a painted corridor filled with historic legends,should give you a marvelous experience.

Maybe you have read a lot of book about China and Yangtze River, but remember the saying"Hearing about fora handred times is far less than seeing once." Everyone will esxperience different from others in fifferent time and condition.