Project One · 壹
River Stories
河流故事
Growing up in a small town called Long River ("長河") on the southern side of Hangzhou Bay in China's East Coast, rivers were an important part of my childhood memories. What rivers in my hometown went through motivated my pursuit of Environmental Studies and shaped my career and fascination with histories and stories about and along rivers.
Currently, I'm working to build a body of work that portraits our social and economic links with Asia's rivers. Water is essential for development. Many of these rivers are deeply intertwined with the rise and fall of ancient civilisations, as well as the collective memories of communities that have lived along these water bodies. In recent history, our relationship with rivers has been threatened by rapid urbanisation and unchecked economic development. In the face of a changing climate, water risk looms large across Asia. To inspire action, we all need to have better understandings of this issue.
Yangtze River
長江
Yangtze River, spanning 6,380km from the Tanggula Mountain Pass on top of the Qinghai Tibetean Plateau to the metropolitan Shanghai city before entering the East China Sea, is the longest river in China and also the third longest in the world.
In nowadays China, the Yangzte River Economic Belt (YREB) is the nation’s frontier in seeking a new pathway of green development. Covering 11 provinces and municipalities, the YREB accounts for over 42% of China’s population and GDP.
Yellow River
黃河
Yellow River is the second longest river in China. Together with the Yangtze River, it has been considered as cradles of Chinese civilisation. Originating from the Yueguzonglie Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it flows over 5,400km through the Losses Plateau and the North China Plain before entering the Bohai Sea.
The Yellow River Basin provinces boosted almost 27% of China’s GDP in 2014. 58% of China’s top 5 coal companies’ coal output was from the Yellow River Basin. 41% of chemical fertilizers, 57% of wheat and 41% of corn are also produced in provinces along this river.
The Ganges
恆河
The Ganges, also known as Ganga, is one of the most sacred rivers to Hindus. Starting in western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, it flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
Mekong River
湄公河
Mekong River is one of Asia’s most important transboundary rivers. It flows 4,909 km through six countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Viet Nam.
Due to its seasonal variation in water level and the range of wetland habitats, the river is rich in biodiversity and productivity. The ecosystems supported by the river is fundamental to the viability of natural resource-based rural livelihoods of a population of 60 million people living in the Lower Mekong Basin.
