- Qiantang River
The Qiantang River (zh-cp|c=钱塘江|p=Qiántáng Jiāng, also known as the Qian River) is a southeast Chinese
river that originates in the borders ofAnhui andJiangxi provinces and passes throughHangzhou , the capital ofZhejiang province, before flowing into theEast China Sea throughHangzhou Bay .The lower stream of
Qiantang River is known asFuchun (foo'choon') River, 285 mi (459 km) long inZhejiang province. An important commercial artery, it flows NE to theEast China Sea atHangzhou .The river and bay are known for the world's largest
tidal bore , which is up to 9 metres (30 ft) high, and travels at up to 40 km per hour (25 miles an hour). The tide rushing into the river from the bay causes a bore usually from 5 to 15 ft (1.5–4.6 m) high, which sweeps pastHangzhou and menaces shipping in the harbor. It is so dangerous that, until recently, no one attempting to surf it has managed to remain upright for more than 11 seconds. [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0222_050222_tidalbore_2.html]In September of 2008 a group of American surfers convinced the Chinese government to allow them to surf a section of the river. Personal watercraft were used to safely transport the surfers in and out of the tidal bore. [http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/longs-and-healey-brave-the-silver-dragons-uncharted-waters-china-surf-blog-round-two-final-days_18699/photos/]
The First
Qiantang River Bridge in Hangzhou was the first steel bridge to span across a major river in China when it was built in the 1930s.The river is also the southern terminal of the ancient Grand Canal that links five major rivers in China from north to south, enabling traffic north to
Beijing from Hangzhou via the Canal.The Qiantang was previously known under the names Zhe River(Zhejiang), Luocha River, or Zhi River. It was re-named "Qiantang" (literally "Qian's pond") in honour of the kings of
Wuyue (907-978), whose extensive hydro-engineering schemes in large part ensured the prosperity of the region in later centuries.Tributaries
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Puyang River References
[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0024-3590(198907)34%3A5%3C953%3AHDAUOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-M JSTOR: Limnology and Oceanography: Vol. 34, No. 5]
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