Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet

Yarlung Zangbo River is the highest large river above the sea level in China. It is also one of the largest rivers on the plateau area. Yarlung Zangbo River originates from the Gyema-Yangzong Glacier at the northern foot of Himalaya. The upper reach of Yarlung Zangbo River is called Maquan River. It flows across the southern Tibet from the west to the east and stretches toward the south bypass Mt. Namjagbarwa (located at the eastern end of Himalaya Mountains).

Brief Introduction of Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet

Yarlung Zangbo River is of rich hydraulic power which only ranks after the Yangtze River. The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon located at the great bend of Yarlung Zangbo River is the largest canyon above the sea level. Both the depth and length of the Grand Canyon rank first among all the canyons in the world.

Yarlung Zangbo River is highly respected as the mother river by local Tibetans. It stretches 2840 kilometers (the total length is 3848 kilometers if the tributaries are included), among which 2057 kilometers are in China. It covers a drainage area of 0.935 square kilometers, among which 0.246 million square kilometers are in China. It is the largest river in Tibet and the 5th largest river in China only ranks after the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Heilongjiang River and Zhujiang River. It is called Brahmaputra River after it flows into India and is called Jamuna River after it flows into Bangladesh. It finally pours into the Bay of Bengal after it converged with the Ganges River in Bengal.

Name Origin of Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet

Yarlung Zangbo means "water from the highest peak" in Tibetan. It has three main tributaries: the northern tributary originates from Gangdise Mountains; the middle tributary is widely regarded as the most important branch of Yarlung Zangbo River for its large water volume; the southern tributary originates from Himalayas and the water volume is relatively larger in summer. The section where the above three tributaries converged is called Maquan River. Qushui County Area was called Yarlung in Tibetan. The section of Yarlung Zangbo River in Shannan Prefecture was called Yalong River. Hence, the large river on Tibet Plateau finally got its name Yarlung Zangbo River.

Historical Origin of Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet

Yarlung Zangbo River breeds the ancient and influential Neolithic Age culture in Nyingchi and Medog. A series of historical and cultural relics were unearthed in these regions, including the ancient stone implement, ceram, axe and some other relics of great research significance in archaeology. A lot of tribes emerged in late Neolithic Age. Nyatri Tsenpo was noted as the king of Yalong Tribe in the history of Tibet. He laid solid base for the establishment of the slavery Tubo Kingdom.

Yarlung Zangbo River is not only the birth place of the Tibetan civilization but also the witness of the cultural exchange and interaction between Han people and Tibetans. A series of historical relics which promoted the development of Tibet were located on the banks of Yarlung Zangbo River, among which the Tashilhunpo Monastery and Potala Palace are the most representative ones.