The flow of the Chang Jiang is some 20 times greater than that of the
Huang He. As much of 40% of China's total grain production, 70% of rice
output, and more than 40% of the population are associated with the
Chang Jiang's vast basin that includes more than 3,000 tributaries. With
its numerous tributaries, the Chang Jiang drains nearly 20% of China's
total area. Its upper reaches tap the uplands of the Tibetan Plateau
before sweeping across the enormous and agriculturally productive
Sichuan Basin that supports nearly 10% of China's total population. It
is in the middle course of the Chang Jiang that the controversial Three
Gorges Dam is being constructed.
