Both the Yellow and the Yangtze rivers are considered cradles of the Chinese civilization. Snaking 6,300 km between western China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the East China Sea, the Yangtze River is often said to be the dividing line between North and South China. Geographers, however, technically regard Qinling Mountain and Huaihe River as the precise line of demarcation. As the world's third longest river and Asia's longest river, the Yangtze river spans many diverse regions, and is known by several names. In the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the river is known as Tongtian He, or Travelling-Through-the-Heavens River. Where it borders Sichuan and runs into Yunnan province, it is referred to as Jinsha Jiang, or River of Golden Sand. Only in its lower reaches is the great river referred to by the name most common to foreigners: the Yangtze.

The Yangtze River cleaves a path and makes its way through the mountains to form uniquely beautiful, magnificent, and wonderful gorges - the Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge. Sandwiched between the mountains on the mid part of the Yangtze River, the 193-kilometer Yangtze Three Gorges runs across Fengjie and Wushan Mountain in Sichuan Province and Badong, Zigui, and Yichang in Hubei Province. The Yangtze Three Gorges shows the magic workings of nature with their marvelous and beautiful mountains and waters. City of White Emperor in Fengjie is the vital passage of the west part of the Three Gorges. Nanjinguan in Yichang is the important gateway of the east part. Along the banks of the Yangtze River, the high peaks rise in emerald verdure, overhanging rocks tower into the clouds, dangerous cliffs seem to reach the sky, rocks are jagged and grotesque, waterfalls are spraying and sparkling, clouds and mists are curling, rapids and torrents are seething, and fierce waves are Gorge, deep, serene and exquisite; while Xiling Gorge perilous for its shoals and rapid currents.

Because of the difficulty of crossing the river, the Yangtze River historically served as the political boundary between forces in the north and south. Many significant battles took place on or near the river - the most famous being the Battle of Red Cliffs in AD 208, during the Three Kingdoms Period (AD 220-280).

For over two centuries, the Yangtze River has served as a transportation highway and commercial thoroughfare. Ocean-going vessels can travel up the river by 1,000 km, and steamers can navigate up as far as Yichang, in the middle of China. Shanghai, China's largest metropolis, is known as the gateway to the Yangtze, as the city spans the Huangpu tributary just south of the river's mouth.

Numerous cities are located on the shore of the Yangtze River. One is Nanjing, once known as the "South Capital" in China. Another is Wuhan, once called the Chicago in the East.

The newly built Three Gorges Dam, the largest electricity-generating facility in the world, now attracts international attention to the river. The dam is the biggest infrastructure project undertaken in China since the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. The 24- billion-U.S.-dollar dam spans nearly 2 miles across, and it generates 4 percent of China's total power output.