Yalu River

Rising in the Changbai Mountains of Jilin province, China 2500 m above sea level, it flows south to Hyesan[?] before sweeping 130 km northwest to Lin-Chiang and then returning to a more southerly route for a further 300 km to empty into Korea Bay at Dandong[?]. It is almost 800 km long and receives the water from over 30,000 km² of land. At its widest it is around 5 km, although depth is no greater than 3 m and much of the river is heavily silted.

Its most significant tributaries are the Changjin, Herchun, and Tokro rivers. Along much of its length it marks the border between North Korea and north-eastern Chinese provinces of Jilin (Kirin) and Liaoning (Manchuria).

The river basin is the mythical site of the beginnings of the first proto-Korean nation Kojosun[?], when in 2333 BC Tangun[?] unified many of the tribes along the river. The Great Wall of China's eastern end terminates at the Yalu.

The Korean river area was heavily industrialised during the Japanese rule, by 1945 almost 20% of Japan's total industrial output originated in Korea. The river is not easily navigable for most of its length. The river is important for hydroelectric power, one of the largest hydroelectric dams in Asia is the Sup'ung-nodongjagu, upstream from Sinuiju[?]. It is 100 m high and over 850 m long.

During the Korean War the movement of UN troops approaching the river provoked massive Chinese intervention from around Dandong. In the course of the conflict every bridge across the river except one was destroyed.