Yellow River in China 2025

Locals name it Huang He, yet the world knows it as the Yellow River, the second largest in China after the Yangtze River, and also one of the longest in the world. It's 4,845 km long, and its area is 752,443 km². The colour is attributed to huge amounts of ochre-coloured silt carried down by the river, to be more precise 1.6 billions tonnes. For the Chinese, the river yet means something more than just its size, chemical content, and colour.

The river is believed to be the mother of the entire Chinese Civilisation. Numerous archaeological relics found along the basin date back to the Neolithic era. Rich deposits of fertile silt led to the birth of agriculture on these lands. The very first settlements must have emerged on the river banks back 12,000 years B.C. Today agriculture continues to thrive in the area, that is the main producer of China's cotton and wheat.

Locals respect and at the same time dread the river owing to its deadly floods that occur during heavy rains.

Meandering river flows through seven Chinese Provinces, but naturally, it's the most yellow in the lower reaches, namely from Zhengzhou to the Bo Sea. Besides, yellow Hukou Waterfall a little above is worth visiting.

The season starts in May when most of ice and snow has melted and the rainy period has set in, so the basin is replenished with a plenty of new water. The yellow water can be enjoyed till October which brings dry and cold weather. If you dislike too hot and humid weather, it's also recommended to avoid July and August.