INTERESTING RIVER

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4693, 14 May 1935, Page 3

INTERESTING RIVER

0 THE YANGTSE KIANG. Sixth in size among the rivers of ' the world, the stream called by Westerners the Yangtse Kiang is, without doubt, first in interest, states the Hong Kong "Sunday Herald." This interest is not supplied "by its natural feaures alone, but also by the extraordinary number of sites, important from an historical and literary point of view, found on its banks. To the Oriental mind, these ku-chi on Ancient Footsteps impart a glamour of romance-denied the majority of Occidental travellers. As far as the name is concerned, the Chinese call the entire stream simply River, Long River, or Great River, using in each case the Avord chiang. Different stretches, how-

ever, have specified names, and the Yangtse refers to the portion running past Yang Chou not far from its mouth. In its upper reaches the name used is Chin Cha Chiang— River of Golden Sand. I Gold is actually washed from the sand, but apart from this practical reason those who have passed through the famous San Hsia of Three Chasms at high water cannot fail to have been struck by the singular aptness of this name. When its source is released from the grim clutch of winter, the Great River descends, a raging, gleaming torrent of most marvellous colour, a colour impossible to describe. It is like molten copper, or as Chinese would say, "red brass."