Zayü
Zayü 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
- 29.07°, 97.36°
About Zayü
The Lohit River, also known as the Zayul Chu by the Tibetans, is a river in Tibet and India, which joins the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam. It is formed in the Zayul County of the Tibet Autonomous Region, through a merger of two rivers: the Kangri Karpo Chu (also called Rongto Chu and Zayul Ngu Chu), which originates in the Kangri Karpo range, and Zayul Chu (Chinese: 察隅河; pinyin: Cháyú Hé), which originates to its northeast. The two rivers merge below the town of Rima. The combined river descends through this mountainous region and surges through Arunachal Pradesh in India for 200 kilometres (120 mi) before entering the plains of Assam where it is known as the Lohit River. Tempestuous and turbulent, and known as the river of blood partly attributable to the lateritic soil, it flows through the Mishmi Hills, to meet the Siang (Brahmaputra) at the head of the Brahmaputra valley. The Lohit-Brahmaputra system is called Dilao by the Dimasas, Tilao by the Ahoms and Tellu by the Mishmis.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Lohit River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Zayü in Depth
Course
Thickly forested for the most part, alpine vegetation along the Lohit's course gives way to subtropical forests, and then to tropical jungles. Rhododendrons bloom in many hues in the upper reaches, and orchids are found in the lower groves. The area contains medicinal plants and herbs, including Mishmi teeta, the coptis plant, known for its medicinal properties.
The Mishmis hold sway in the hills. In the plains are the Khamptis and the Singphos, fervent Buddhists and migrants from across the Patkai hills from Burma. As the Lohit journeys through, Tibetan theology gives way to animist belief, in turn replaced by Theravada Buddhism and then by Hindu temples. This region experiences a mix of many cultures near the tripoint between Tibet, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lohit River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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
Zayü: Quick Answers
- Where is Zayü?
- Zayü is located in China, at 29.0716° N, 97.3566° E.
- Are there dams on the Zayü?
- No dam on the Zayü is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.