The Heilongjiang River, the
Sino-Russian boundary river, runs across the northern part of north China. Its
headstream includes the northern source and the southern source. The northern
source Shilka River originates from the eastern foothills of the Mount Kent in
the Outer Mongolia, and the southern source Argun River originates from the
western slope of China's Great Hinggan Mountains. After the convergence of the
southern source and the northern source at the Xiluoguhe Village, Mohe City,
China, the river is called as the Heilongjiang River that runs eastwardly and
finally empties into the Sea of Okhotsk. The Heilongjiang River flows across
China, Russia and the Outer Mongolia. Its entire length is 4,370 kilometers, the
11th largest river in the world. Its drainage area is up to 1,843,000
square kilometers, ranking the 10th largest in the world. The
drainage area within China accounts for 48% of the total drainage
area.
The Heilongjiang River was known as the
Yushui, Wanshui and Heishui in ancient China. The forests are luxuriant and the
aquatic grasses are verdant wherever the Heilongjiang River flows across. The
rich black humus in the soil is carried into the river by the surface water and
the river water therefore becomes livid. The Manchu people living in the
Heilongjiang River Valley call the river Sahalianwula, the Sahalian means the
black color, and the Wula means the river. The name of the Heilongjiang River
(river in the shape of a black dragon) was thus formed. Therefore, it is lively
and visual to name the slightly black river that looks like a black swimming
dragon as the Heilongjiang River.
The Heilongjiang River has total 200 more
tributaries in which the large ones include the Songari River, the Wusuli River,
the Zeya River and the Bulieya River.
Songari River is the largest
tributary of the Heilongjiang River, with a total length of 1,657 kilometers and
a drainage area of over 550,000 square kilometers. Its source, the Heaven Lake,
has beautiful scene and has been an important tourist resort all through the
ages. The primitive forests can be seen everywhere in the Songari River valley,
the forest region with largest area in China. The soil in the Songari River
valley is fertile, and it abounds in soybean, maize, broomcorn, wheat, flax,
cotton, apple, sugar beet and other crops. It is also a large fishing water of
freshwater. The main products include the carp, crucian, Huso dauricus and other
fish. In addition, local inhabitants use ice to sculpt various ice lanterns,
which are the fine folk artworks with special
characteristics.
The total length of the Wusuli River is 905
kilometers, with a drainage area of nearly 187,000 square kilometers. The soil
of the Wusuli River is fertile, primitive forests can be seen everywhere, a
great deal of minerals are held in the area, and it abounds in soybean and
broomcorn. In addition, the aquatic resources are very rich, including the
special local products of salmon, huso sturgeon, bighead fish, sturgeon and
dongzhu (a kind of pearl), etc.
Along with the frequent commercial
intercourses with Russia in recent years, China successively opened 7 ports to
carry out commercial trade with Russia. The freight of 1990 alone was up to
400,000 tons, so these ports can bring significant economic benefits to the two
countries every year.