Yalong River

The Yalong River originates from the southern foothills of Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province, flowing southeast into northwestern Sichuan. The main course of the Yalong River is about 1,500 kilometers long. After passing Nikan Duo and entering Sichuan, it generally flows southward, passing through Shiqu County — the largest, highest-altitude, and coldest county in the province — before arriving at Garze County, where the Second and Fourth Red Army forces met during the Long March. It then roars and surges with unstoppable force through continuous canyons, heading southward through Xinlong County, known for its gold deposits. After admiring the majestic scenery of Jian’gan Mountain in Yajiang County, it races past Mount Gongga, the highest peak in Sichuan at 7,566 meters above sea level, reaching the vicinity of Ba’diao in Muli County — an area rich in quality timber. The river makes a sharp turn of over 100 degrees around Jinping Mountain, forming the famous Yalong River Big Bend. At the mouth of the Big Bend, it passes through Mianning County, where the Red Army entered the Yi ethnic region during the Long March and leaders including a general and Xiao Yueda, leader of the local chieftains, swore a blood alliance. The river then bravely squeezes through the canyon formed by Jinping Mountain and Maoniushan Mountain, rushing downward thousands of miles to join the Jinsha River after passing through Panzhihua, the Steel City. The Yalong River stretches 1,375 kilometers within Sichuan Province.