You may have heard the saying "The Yangtze River is China's mother river." The Yangtze is almost 6,400 km long. It is the world's third-longest river and covers one-fifth of China's land area. The Yangtze River Economic Zone (长江经济带) covers 11 provinces and cities, making up about 40 percent of China's total population and GDP.
On Dec. 26, 2020, Chinese government passed the Yangtze River Protection Law, which took effect on March 1, 2021. It is the first law to protect a waterway in China, CGTN noted.
The "mother river" is in great need of protection because something is wrong with it. For example, due to overfishing and water pollution, the river's Chinese Paddlefish (白鲟) has died out after keeping alive for 150 million years. There's more and more land becoming desert and land pollution near the upstream part of the river in Qinghai province, Xinhua reported.
| Protection of China's Mother River | |
| Facts of the River | 6,400 km ; 40% of China's GDP |
| of the Law | passed on December 26, 2020; took effect on March 1, 2021 |
| of Protection | and water pollution; land pollution and land desertification |
