Wei
Wei is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 34.38°, 107.11°
About Wei
The Wei River (Chinese: 渭河; pinyin: Wèi Hé; Wade–Giles: Wei Ho) is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization. In ancient times, such as in the Records of the Grand Historian, the river was called Wei Shui (渭水; Wèishuǐ; 'Wei water').
The total length of the Wei River is 818 km (508 mi), covering a drainage area of 135,000 km2 (52,000 sq mi). Some of the major tributaries include the Luo River, Jing River, Niutou River, Feng River and the Chishui River. In a direct line, it travels due east for 700 km (430 mi) before draining into the Yellow River at Tongguan County near the tri-provincial boundary between Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces, with a series of major cities along its course including Tianshui, Baoji, Xianyang, Xi'an and Weinan.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Wei River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Wei in Depth
Course
The source of the Wei River starts in the mountainous region in southern Weiyuan County (literally meaning "Wei's source"), Gansu province, with the westernmost headwater of its mainstem Qingyuan River (清源河) less than 1.6 km (0.99 mi) away from a headwater of Manba River, a main tributary of the Tao River, which is the second-largest tributary of the Yellow River (behind the Wei River itself). The head of the Wei River proper — formed by confluence of the Qingyuan River with two small tributaries to its northwest — is less than 110 km (68 mi) from the Yellow River at Lanzhou, but due to the sharp north turn the Yellow River takes in Lanzhou to form the Ordos Loop, the Wei and the Yellow River do not meet for more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) further along the Yellow River's course.
History
In Chinese mythology, the giant Kua Fu drained the Yellow River and the Wei River to quench his burning thirst as he pursued the Sun. The valley of the Wei was one of the early cradles of Chinese civilization, along which the capitals of the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties were situated. The area of Dingxi around its headwaters in Gansu has numerous Stone Age sites from various early cultures. The Wei Valley is likely the earliest center of Chinese civilization, and also the location of China's first major irrigation works. Some Chinese historians now believe the Wei is the ancient Jiang River that gave its name to the families of Shennong and the Yan emperor, two Chinese legendary heroes credited with the early development of agriculture there.
Climate
The Wei River valley has a continental climate, with hot summers and cool, dry winters. It sits between the arid steppes and deserts to the north and the forests of the Qingling mountains. Its natural vegetation would be a steppe-forest, but it has been transformed by human activity and is mostly agricultural.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Wei River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Wei: Key Facts
| Length | 818 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 135,000 km² |
| Source | Niaoshu Mountain |
| Mouth | Yellow River |
| Drainage system | Yellow River Basin |
| Tributaries | Jing River, Luo River, Chishui River, Niutou River, Hulu River |
Facts from Wikidata Q847641 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Wei: Quick Answers
- Where is Wei?
- Wei is located in China, at 34.3773° N, 107.1074° E.
- Are there dams on the Wei?
- No dam on the Wei is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.