The cradle of Chinese civilization
The Yellow River, at more than 5,400 kilometers, is China's second-longest river and the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Its fertile valley nurtured the earliest Chinese dynasties, and its waters have been called both 'China's Sorrow' and 'China's Mother' for the floods and fertility they have brought.
The river's most spectacular sight is the Hukou Waterfall on the border of Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, where the river narrows and thunders through a gorge with the roar of a dragon. The ancient Lanzhou Iron Bridge and the terraced landscapes along its course tell of millennia of human settlement.
Along the river's path lie some of China's greatest historical cities — Xi'an, Luoyang, and Zhengzhou — each preserving temples, pagodas, and tombs from the early dynasties. A journey along the Yellow River is a journey to the very roots of Chinese culture.
