Min River (Sichuan)

Min Jiang
Origin	Songpan
Mouth	Chang Jiang at Yibin
Basin countries	China
Right tributaries	Dadu River

Not to be confused with Min River (Fujian).

Map of the Min River drainage basin

The Min River (岷江; pinyin: Mín Jiāng) is a 735 kilometres (457 mi)-long river in central Sichuan province, China. It is a tributary of the upper Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) which it joins at Yibin (宜宾).

The Min River flows in the general southern direction. It starts in north-central Sichuan, where its basin is limited by the Qionglai Mountains in the west and the Min Mountains in the east. The river passes through the Longmen Range and enters the plains of the Sichuan Basin near Dujiangyan City; in that area, the ancient Dujiangyan Irrigation System (都江堰) and the modern Zipingpu dam are located. The Giant Buddha of Leshan is built into the stone banks of the Min.

A survey by biologist Deng Qixiang found that only 16 of the 40 fish species recorded in the 1950s are to be found today. The Sichuan Taimen, a protected species, has not been seen in one stretch of river, the Wenchuan, for an entire decade. [1]

The name should not be confused with the Min River (Fujian), which is written 闽江.

See also

• List of rivers in China

Coordinates: 28°46′14″N 104°37′56″E / 28.77056°N 104.63222°E / 28.77056; 104.63222