The Yangtze River, which is honored to be the cradle of Chinese civilization, is the longest river in China and the third longest in the world. It flows 6.300 kilometers from the snowy heights of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the East China Sea, just north of Shanghai.

　　The Yangtze River is the most densely-populated and most economically prosperous region in China. Thanks to its long history, it boasts splendid culture and varieties of scenic spots which attract a lot of experts and visitors at home and abroad.

　　It is worth mentioning that the Yangtze River has different local names with different places. Among these the most common name to the Chinese People is Chang Jiang which means“the long river”in Chinese Mandarin.