Lancang River
The Lancang River (澜沧江) is the longest river flowing from north to south in China. It takes its source from the Zhaqu of the Guangguori Peak of Tanggula Mountain Range in Qinghai Province, China. It is called the Lancang River after it reaches Changdu.
The river runs south until it leaves China at the Nanla Bayout of Yunnan Province and therefrom changes its name from the Lancang River to the Mekong River. The river finally empties into the Pacific Ocean in the south of Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam. As the longest river in the Southeast Asia, the river has a total length of 2,354 kilometers and a drainage basin area of 165,000 square kilometers. The Lancang River is China's main artery of water carriage connecting Southeast Asian countries, and it is reputed as the "Danube of the East". The Lancang River has important value for travel industry, as the soil of the Lancang River valley is fertile, the resources are rich, the products are plentiful, the riverside scenery is beautiful, the ethical cultures and customs are special and the scenic spots and historical sites are numerous.
The Lancang River is a fantastic river with more than ten ethic minorities living along the river. In China, it is the only river where so many nationalities are living. Boating down with the current, tourists can view not only the rust-red water of the river, the white clouds and green mountains of the riverside, but also the ethical cultures and customs along the river.
The most beautiful scenic spots along the riverside of the Lancang River are in the segment from Yunnan's Jinghong to the Olive Basin, and it is the perfect representative and miniature of Xishuangbanna City. As the topography becomes gentle in the area of Jinghong, the Lancang River gradually becomes wider, the water no longer surge forward and roar loudly, and it looks calm and tranquil. The abundant river water irrigate the fertile soil and green plains of Xishuangbanna City, creating famous cultures and customs of the Lancang River. Because of the low-lying topography and hot and humid climate, the forest is more verdant, birds are always singing and flowers are giving out their fragrance all year round. Along the broad both sides of the Lancang River, the villages of Dai nationality stand one by one, and there are numerous market towns, downtown streets, interlaced garden cities, gumtree forests, olive forests, banana forests and grapefruit forests everywhere.
The Grand Canyon of the Lancang River is famous for not only its deep and long vale, but also the rushing water. The river water is limpid and rushing in winter, but turbid and onrushing in summer. As the river becoming narrow in the Grand Canyon, high waves are striking against the banks and making a sound like thunder. What a fantastic spectacle! Such steep mountains, deep valley and miraculous geographic structure are seldom seen all over the world.
