Yalu River

Yalu (鸭绿江/鴨綠江, ᠶᠠᠯᡠ ᡠᠯᠠ)
Amnok(압록강, 鴨綠江)
Name origin: Manchu, "the boundary between two countries"
Countries	China (PRC), North Korea (PRK)
Provinces	Jilin (PRC), Liaoning (PRC), Ryanggang (PRK), Chagang (PRK), North Pyongan (PRK), Sinuiju SAR (PRK)
Source	South of Heaven Lake, PRC-PRK border, Paektu Mountain
- coordinates	41°58′8″N 128°4′24″E / 41.96889°N 128.07333°E / 41.96889; 128.07333
Mouth	Korea Bay
- coordinates	39°52′N 124°19′E / 39.867°N 124.317°E / 39.867; 124.317Coordinates: 39°52′N 124°19′E / 39.867°N 124.317°E / 39.867; 124.317
Length	790 km (491 mi)
Location of the Yalu River

The Yalu River, also called the Amnok River (Korean pronunciation: [amnok.k͈aŋ]), is a river on the border between North Korea and China. Together with the Tumen River to its east, and a small portion of Paektu Mountain, the Yalu forms the border between North Korea and China and is notable as a site involved in military conflicts in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, World War II, and the Korean War.

Name

There are two versions regarding the origin of the river name. One version is that the name derived from "Yalv ula" in the Manchu language. The Manchu word "Yalu" means "the boundary between two countries". In Mandarin Chinese, "Yalu" phonetically approximates the original Manchu word "Yalu", but literally means "Duck Green", which was said to have been once the color of the river. The other version is that the river was named after the combination of its two upper branches, which was called "Ya" and "Lu" respectively.

Geography

From 2500 m above sea level on Paektu Mountain on the China–North Korea border, the river flows south to Hyesan before sweeping 130 km northwest to Linjiang and then returning to a more southerly route for a further 300 km to empty into the Korea Bay between Dandong (China) and Sinuiju (North Korea). The bordering Chinese provinces are Jilin and Liaoning.

The river is 795 km (493 mi) long and receives the water from over 30,000 km² of land. The Yalu's most significant tributaries are the Changjin (장진강/長津江), the Hochon (허천강/虚川江), the Tokro (독로강/禿魯江) and the Ai (瑷河) rivers. The river is not easily navigable for most of its length.^[1] Most of the river freezes during winter and can be crossed on foot.^[2]

The depth of the Yalu River varies from some of the more shallow parts on the eastern side in Hyesan (1 metre) to the deeper parts of the river near the Yellow Sea (2.5 metres).^[3] The estuary is the site of the Amrok River estuary Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International.^[4]

There are 205 islands on the Yalu. A 1962 border treaty between North Korea and China split the islands according to which ethnic group were living on each island. North Korea possesses 127 and China 78. Due to the division criteria, some islands such as Hwanggumpyong Island belong to North Korea but abut the Chinese side of the river.

North Korean village in the Yalu River delta

History

Remains of bridge between Dandong and Sinuiju destroyed during the Korean War

The river basin is the site where the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo rose to power. Many former fortresses are located along the river and the former capital of that kingdom was situated at what is now the medium-sized city of Ji'an, Jilin along the Yalu, a site rich in Goguryeo era relics.

Wihwa Island on the river is historically famous as the place where in 1388, General Yi Songgye (later Taejo of Joseon) decided to turn back his army southward to Kaesong in the first of a series of revolts that eventually led to the establishment of the House of Yi.^[5]

The river has been the site of several battles because of its strategic location between Korea and China, including:

• Battle of the Yalu River (1894) – First Sino-Japanese War
• Battle of Yalu River (1904) – Russo-Japanese War
• Battle near to the Yalu River (1950) – Korean War

The Korean side of the river was heavily industrialized during the period of Japanese rule (1910–1945), and by 1945 almost 20% of Imperial Japan's total industrial output originated in Korea. During the Korean War, the movement of United Nations troops approaching the river precipitated massive Chinese intervention from around Dandong. In the course of the conflict every bridge across the river except one was destroyed. The one remaining bridge was the Sino–Korean Friendship Bridge connecting Sinuiju, North Korea to Dandong, China. During the war the valley surrounding the western end of the river also became the focal point of a series of dogfights for air superiority over North Korea, earning the nickname "MiG Alley" in reference to the MiG-15 fighters flown by the combined North Korean, Chinese and Soviet forces.

It was the advance of UN forces during the Korean War toward the Yalu which prompted Chairman Mao Zedong to involve China in the war for fear of an American invasion, since toppling communism was one of America's stated goals and Douglas MacArthur had expressed his desire to expand the war into China.

The river has frequently been crossed by North Koreans fleeing to China since the early 1990s.

The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge across the Yalu (Amnokgang) at Sinuiju and Dandong

Economy

The river is important for hydroelectric power, and one of the largest hydroelectric dams in Asia is in Sup'ung Dam, 106 m high and over 850 m long, located upstream from Sinuiju, North Korea. The dam has created an artificial lake over a portion of the river, called Sapung Lake. In addition the river is used for transportation, particularly of lumber from its forested banks. The river provides fish for the local population. Downstream of Sup'ung is the Taipingwan Dam. Upstream of Sup'ung is the Yunfeng Dam. Both dams produce hydroelectric power as well.

Crossings

• Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, Dandong, China – Sinŭiju, North Korea
• Ji'an Yalu River Border Railway Bridge, Ji'an China – Manp'o, North Korea
• New Yalu River Bridge, under construction between Dandong, China and Sinŭiju, North Korea

See also

• China–North Korea border
• Geography of China
• Geography of North Korea
• List of China-related topics
• List of Korea-related topics
• List of rivers of Asia

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yalu River.

• Encyclopædia Britannica
•  "Ya-lu-kiang". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.