Ejin River

Ejin River
Heishui, Etsin-gol, Ruo He, Ruo Shui (弱水 (Chinese))
Satellite view of the deserts of northern China. The Ruo River is visible as the faint green trace to the right of the image.
EtymologyNamed for the seasonal flows in its lower course
Native name额济纳河 (Chinese)
Location
CountryChina
StateGansu, Inner Mongolia
CityZhangye
Physical characteristics
SourceKan Chou and Hsü Chao springs
 • locationQilian Shan, Gansu
 • coordinates38°00′04″N 100°54′45″E / 38.00111°N 100.91250°E / 38.00111; 100.91250
 • elevation3,650 m (11,980 ft)
MouthBadain Jaran Playa
 • location
Badain Jaran Desert, Inner Mongolia
 • coordinates
42°18′50″N 101°04′20″E / 42.31389°N 101.07222°E / 42.31389; 101.07222
 • elevation
900 m (3,000 ft)
Length630 km (390 mi)
Basin size78,600 km2 (30,300 sq mi)approx.
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftDang He, Beida He

Ejin River (Chinese: 额济纳河), also Etsin Gol, Ruo Shui (Chinese: 弱水; lit. 'weak water', ' weak river') or Ruo He in ancient times, is a major river system of northern China. It flows approximately 630 kilometres (390 mi) from its headwaters on the northern Gansu side of the Qilian Mountains north-northeast into the endorheic Ejin Basin in the Gobi Desert. The river forms one of the largest inland deltas or alluvial fans in the world.[1] Its drainage basin covers about 78,600 square kilometres (30,300 sq mi) in parts of the Chinese provinces of Gansu and Inner Mongolia, which flows within the Zhangye area of Gansu; when it flows across Jiuquan area, it was renamed as Ruo Shui; when it flows across Alxa League, it is called Ejin River.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference deserts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).