While its exact age has been debated for centuries and may never be known, it’s estimated that the Yangtze River may be around 45 million years old. However, human activity along the river dates back 27 thousand years ago around the Three Gorges area. Today, the Yangtze River is one of the busiest rivers when it comes to the transportation of goods and people on the planet, making it an important part of life in China and throughout Asia. Here are some other interesting notes about the Yangtze River:

Trailing behind the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America, the Yangtze River stretches 3,964 miles, making it the third-largest river in the world and the longest in Asia with many great places to see when taking a Yangtze River Cruise.

The grain produced by the Yangtze River accounts for 70% of the rice in China.

The water network of the Yangtze River covers 1.8 million square kilometers (about 695,000 square miles) of China. That makes up about 19% of its land mass.

The first major damn of the Yangtze was the Gezhouba Damn in 1988. In 2009, the Three Gorges Dam was completed. It’s been touted as the largest hydropower project, the most efficient dam in terms of flood control and the largest migration project in the world.

In 1957, the first major bridge across the Yangtze was built – the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge. Prior to that, ferry was the only way for people to make their way across the bridge aside from boat or plane. This bridge made taking a tour of China much easier.

An old saying goes, "If you haven’t traveled up Chang Jiang ("long river"), you haven’t been anywhere as the Yangtze River, which is sometimes referred to as Chang Jiang, winds its way through some of the most spectacular scenery anyone could expect to see when taking a China tour.

Many Chinese consider the Yangtze River to be the dividing point between North and South China.

To experience this historic and magnificent river, make sure to book your Yangtze River Cruise. Discover different sides of China on your Asia vacation as you make your way along this scenic river taking in many of the most popular cities in Asia. Book your cruise today with AsiaImpressions and get started on the best cruise you’ve ever taken!