Min River (Fujian)
The Min River (simplified Chinese: 闽江; traditional Chinese: 閩江; pinyin: Mǐn Jiāng; Foochow Romanized: Mìng-gĕ̤ng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bân-kang; Kienning Colloquial Romanized: Ma̿ing-gó̤ng) is a 505 kilometres (314 mi)-long river in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It is the largest river in Fujian, and an important water transport channel. Most of northern and central Fujian is within its drainage area.
| Min River | |
|---|---|
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| Native name | |
| Location | |
| Country | China |
| Province | Fujian |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Futun |
| • location | Shaowu, Fujian |
| • coordinates | 27°07′41″N 117°05′24″E |
| • elevation | 631 m (2,070 ft) |
| 2nd source | Shaxi |
| • location | Sanming, Fujian |
| • coordinates | 26°18′29″N 116°26′53″E |
| • elevation | 557 m (1,827 ft) |
| Source confluence | |
| • location | Nanping, Fujian |
| • coordinates | 26°34′41″N 118°01′55″E |
| • elevation | 77 m (253 ft) |
| Mouth | East China Sea |
• location | Fuzhou, Fujian |
• coordinates | 26°04′34″N 119°31′19″E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 505 km (314 mi) |
| Basin size | 60,922 km2 (23,522 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 1,980 m3/s (70,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Renshou, Jianxi and tributaries |
| • right | Xixi, Jinxi, Shaxi, Youxi, Dazhang |
The provincial capital, Fuzhou, sits on the lower Min River, with its historic center being on the northern side of the river, even closer to its fall into the East China Sea; the location historically made it an important port.
Alternate sources
The traditional source of the Min River is in the far northwest of the basin, hence in China the highest reach is called the Beixi Brook. The total length of the river using this source is 505 km. But in fact, the Beixi is neither the geographic or hydrological source of the river. The Shuiqian is the furthest geographic source, and the Shuiqian-Shaxi-Min is 580 km long. A different river, the Jinxi, is larger than the Beixi-Futun at the point where the two meet, and consequently is connected to the hydrological source.
See also
- List of rivers in China
- Min River (disambiguation) - for other rivers with the same name
References
1. Fujian Local Records Compilation Committee. (2001). Fujian Provincial Chronicles: Topography. Fuzhou: Local Records Press