Jialing River Grand Canyon

　　   The Jialing River is an upper tributary of the Yangtze River. It enters the county from Huixian County in Gansu Province and has long served as a passage connecting Shaanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan. The river has two main sources: the eastern source originates from Daiwang Mountain in the northern Qinling Mountains of Feng County, considered the main source, while the western source rises in Tianshui and is called the Xihan River, which is the largest tributary in the upper reaches. There are two explanations for the river’s name: one suggests that the river winds through high mountains and hills, hence the original name “Jialing” (literally “sandwiched between hills and rivers”), which later evolved into Jialing River; the other says that southwest of the Qinling Mountains and Daxianguan Pass lies the Jialing Valley, the source of the Jialing waters, from which the river got its name. The Jialing River flows through Feng County, Liangdang and Huixian in Gansu, then re-enters Shaanxi at Baishuijiang in Lueyang. It meanders southward, picking up several tributaries within Lueyang County — including the Qingni River, Xihan River, Badu River, Lesu River, and Hengxian River — before entering Ningqiang and continuing into Guangyuan, Sichuan. The total length of the river is 329 km, with a drainage area of 28,877 km², of which 86.75 km lie within Lueyang County, covering a catchment area of 9,930 km². Within Shaanxi, the elevation of the Jialing River basin mostly ranges between 1,000 and 1,500 meters. The main course features wide valleys, making it a typical mountainous river. The section from Baishuijiang to Hengxian River consists of meandering gorges, which widen again in the Lueyang section before narrowing once more into gorges at the Yangpingguan section. The Jialing River in Shaanxi has an average annual runoff of 5.26 billion m³, with the highest recorded flood peak flow reaching 9,530 m³/s and an average annual sediment transport of 44.8 million tons. It is rich in hydropower resources. Historically, navigation was possible downstream from Fengzhou, with well-developed water transport. In the 1950s, routes from Baishuijiang to Chongqing were still operational. However, after the construction of the Baoji-Chengdu Railway, river transport gradually declined. The region features crisscrossing ravines, unique terrain, distinctive natural landscapes, a beautiful ecological environment, and abundant natural resources. The river and canyon landscapes are majestic and spectacular. Within the Jialing River basin, there are numerous cultural heritage sites such as the Wuwang City from the Song Dynasty, the ruins of Xuanguan Pass, remains of the Jialing Plank Road, the site of the "Gaoge Song" stele, the Jiangshen Temple, and the Lingyan Temple, a national cultural relic protection unit. This area forms an important cultural and ecotourism development zone for the county.