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The White Jade River, also known by the native names Baiyu or Yurungkash, is a river in the southern
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
region of
China.
The head waters of the river rise in the
Kunlun Mountains, in the area of Aksai Chin in
Kashmir in the
Togatax area (). The river flows east for some 200 km and then north for another 200 km before passing through
Khotan
Hotan (also known as Gosthana, Gaustana, Godana, Godaniya, Khotan, Hetian, Hotien) is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Western China. The city proper of Hotan broke off from the larger Hotan County to become ...
, China ().
In
Khotan
Hotan (also known as Gosthana, Gaustana, Godana, Godaniya, Khotan, Hetian, Hotien) is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Western China. The city proper of Hotan broke off from the larger Hotan County to become ...
, the river has yielded white river rocks which are also known as nephrite jade.
North of Khotan, it eventually dries up in the
Taklamakan desert
The Taklimakan or Taklamakan Desert (; zh, s=塔克拉玛干沙漠, p=Tǎkèlāmǎgān Shāmò, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Такәламаган Шамә; ug, تەكلىماكان قۇملۇقى, Täklimakan qumluqi; also spelled Taklimakan and T ...
, its seasonal bed joined by that of the Black Jade River (
Karakash River
The Karakash or Black Jade River, also spelled ''Karakax'' (, , Қарақаш Дәряси), is a river in the Xinjiang autonomous region of the People's Republic of China that originates in the disputed Aksai Chin region administered by China. I ...
) near
Koxlax (some 200 km north of Khotan, ), from where it continues north as the
Hotan River, which flows into the
Tarim River
The Tarim River ( zh, p=Tǎlǐmù Hé, c=塔里木河; ug, تارىم دەرياسى, Tarim deryasi), known in Sanskrit as the Śītā, is an endorheic river in Xinjiang, China. It is the principal river of the Tarim Basin, a desert region of C ...
. The river drains an area of and has a discharge of .
The river gets its name from the white
jade that is often found in its
alluvial
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. All ...
deposits. The
jade can also however be found in semi-shallow areas of the river..
Gallery
File:Yurungkash_River_near_Hotan.jpg , Yurungkash River near Hotan (2017).
File:China West 1906-08 Sven Hedin.jpg, Map including White Jade River (labelled as Yurungkash R (Khotan)) ( RGS, early 20th century)
File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nj-44-3rd-ed.jpg, Map including the northern section of the White Jade River (labeled as Yü-lung-ha-shih Ho) and surrounding region ( USATC, 1971)
File:Txu-oclc-6654394-ni-44-3rd-ed.jpg, Map including the southern section of the White Jade River (labeled as Yurung Kash) and surrounding region ( AMS, 1950)
File:Operational Navigation Chart G-7, 6th edition.jpg, Map including the White Jade River (labeled as Ywungkax He (Yü-lung-k'o-shih Ho)) and surrounding region) ( DMA, 1980)
See also
*
List of rivers of China
This incomplete list of rivers that flow through China is organized according to the body of water into which each river empties, beginning with the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast, moving clockwise on a map and ending with the Arctic Ocean.
Se ...
Notes
References
External links
Khotan River formed by confluence White Jade and Black Jade Rivers, China(with image)
- also includes construction of Yurungkash River Grand Bridge near Hetian, Xinjiang, China.
{{commons category, White Jade River
Rivers of Xinjiang
Sites along the Silk Road