Dan River (China)
Encyclopedia
The Dan River formerly known as the Dan Shui (丹水) or 800 Li
Black River (八百里黑江), is a river located in Shaanxi
province in the People’s Republic of China. The longest tributary of the Han River, the Dan rises at Heilongkou (黑龙口) in the Qin Mountains of Shaanxi
province then flows south east through Shangluo
City, Danfeng County
, Shangnan County
and Xichuan County
, Henan province before joining the Han River at Danjiangkou
, Hubei province.
Later on during and after the Tang Dynasty
(618–907 CE) under the Fan Zhen
(藩镇) or “Buffer Town” system of administration, the Dan River area had the power to block transport on the Huai
and Bian
Rivers. As a result, the Dan became an important waterway in the Yangtze
and Huai River region.
At the time of the Ming Dynasty
(1368–1644) and later, the Dan was used by merchants of the Guanlong Trading Bloc (关陇集团) to transport goods to Xiangyang and Hankou
, both in Hubei Province. At the same time many shipping (船帮会馆) and horse-drawn transportation (马帮会馆) guild
s were established at Longju Village (龙驹寨) (modern day Danfeng County, Shaanxi Province), illustrating the flourishing trade on the Dan River.
In 1693, during the reign of the Qing Kangxi Emperor
, both Xi’an and Fengxiang County
on the Guanzhong
Plain suffered crop failure bringing famine to the region. Ding Sikong (丁思孔), governor general of the provinces of Hubei and Guangdong with the assistance of others, sent relief aid from Xiangyang via the Dan River into Shaanxi Province after carrying out dredging operations. Famine reoccurred later during Kangxi’s reign in 1720 when 100,000 dan (石) (10000 m³ (353,146.7 cu ft)) of rice were shipped to Shaanxi from warehouses in Jingzhou
, City, Hubei Province and other locations by boat along the Dan River to Longju Village. A decade later on the 16th February 1731, the Yongzheng Emperor
ordered grain to be dispatched from Hubei and Guangdong to Shangzhou
, Shaanxi as a contingency against food shortages. In 1737, during the Qianlong Emperor
’s reign, crops failed in Shangzhou and grain prices rocketed. To keep down prices and provide disaster relief, the authorities in Liguanqiao Town (李官桥镇) and Dengzhou
City in Xichuan County, Henan procured 1880 dan (188 m³ (6,639.2 cu ft)) of foodstuffs which was shipped along the Dan River to Shangzhou. The Qing Guangxu Emperor
’s reign saw the 1890 occupation of Beijing
by the Eight-Nation Alliance
following the Boxer Rebellion
. The emperor along with Empress Dowager Cixi
escaped to Xi’an. Grain taxes from the Jingdai (荆襄) District (south of modern day Neixiang County
, Henan) were forwarded along the Dan River to Longju Village then on to Xi’an for use by the emperor along with his government and army.
With the advent of the Republic of China
in 1912, a ballad spread amongst the people of Xichuan County featuring the words “The boatmen have three knives stuck in their stomachs: the river pirates, the bandits and the submerged reefs. They have only three choices: starvation, death by drowning or imprisonment.” In turn, the boatmen themselves referred to the Dan as the “Black River”, emphasizing the bandit problem.
At that time, three relatively large families controlled shipping; those of Ling Laosi (凌老四) from Jingziguan Town (荆紫关镇)，Guo Laopo (郭老婆) from Laocheng Town (老城镇) and Liguanqiao Town’s (李官桥镇) Jin Yulou (金玉楼), head of the Red Guild (红帮会). They were all considered leeches and exploiters by the boatmen. Records show that cargoes carried on the Dan River included kerosene, tobacco, chinaware, silk, medicinal ingredients, walnuts, peach kernels (used in Chinese medicine) and specialty products from the mountains.
During the 1940’s onwards, waterborne trade on the Dan went into decline.
The second factor concerns economic changes that occurred from the 1950s onwards. China’s implementation of economic regionalization and a state monopoly on purchasing and marketing effectively severed the upstream/downstream trade links on the Dan River. A decade later the 1962 “Cut off the tail of capitalism” policy (割掉资本主义尾巴) halted part time shipping activities by the farming community.
Thirdly, with deforestation and the construction of reservoirs the water sources for the Dan River declined. Large quantities of silt in the river bed increased the number of dangerous reefs so that parts of the waterway became impassable.
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
Black River (八百里黑江), is a river located in Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
province in the People’s Republic of China. The longest tributary of the Han River, the Dan rises at Heilongkou (黑龙口) in the Qin Mountains of Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
province then flows south east through Shangluo
Shangluo
-Administrative divisions:...
City, Danfeng County
Danfeng County
Danfeng County is a county of Shangluo, Shaanxi, China, has an area of 2,438 square kilometers and a population of 300,000 as of 2004....
, Shangnan County
Shangnan County
Shangnan County is a county of Shangluo, Shaanxi, China, has an area of 2,307 square kilometers and a population of 230,000 as of 2004....
and Xichuan County
Xichuan County
Xichuan County is a county of Nanyang, Henan, China.Xichuan has an area of 2,798 square kilometers and a population of 746,000.Both of the Danjiangkou Reservoir and the Central route of South–North Water Transfer Project's canal head are located in Xichuan...
, Henan province before joining the Han River at Danjiangkou
Danjiangkou
Danjiangkou is a county-level city within the Shiyan "Prefecture-level city" of Hubei Province, China. It has a population of more than 150,000.-Geography:...
, Hubei province.
Origin of the name
There are three different theories as to how the Dan River got its name:- When the Black River (黑水) flooded in ancient times, Yu the GreatYu the GreatYu the Great , was a legendary ruler of Ancient China famed for his introduction of flood control, inaugurating dynastic rule in China by founding the Xia Dynasty, and for his upright moral character....
assigned Dan Zhu the task of bringing it under control. Dan Zhu died during the work so the local people renamed the Black River in his honor. - Following the Battle of ChangpingBattle of ChangpingThe Battle of Changping was a military campaign that took place during the Warring States Period in China. It concluded in 260 BC with a decisive victory by the State of Qin over the State of Zhao, and ultimately allowed Qin to conquer and unify China decades later...
between the States of QiQi (state)Qi was a powerful state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Period of the Warring States in ancient China. Its capital was Linzi, now part of the modern day city of Zibo in Shandong Province....
and ZhaoZhao (state)Zhao was a significant Chinese state during the Warring States Period, along with six others...
during the Warring States PeriodWarring States PeriodThe Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
(771–426 BCE), 400,000 bodies were dumped in the river causing its waters to turn red. Since in Chinese “丹” can mean “red”, the river was renamed accordingly. - Traditionally, the same is said to come from the “Dan fish” (丹鱼), a token of longevity.
Geography
The Dan River Basin is located between 109°30'-112°00' East and 32°30'-34°10' North. Roughly 2,000 meters wide, the river flows for 287 km (178.3 mi) through a basin covering 16812 km² (6,491.1 sq mi).History
According to the geography section of the Warring States Period Yu Gong (禹贡/禹貢), the Dan River joined the Han River at a place called Laohe Kou (老河口 literally: old river mouth).Later on during and after the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618–907 CE) under the Fan Zhen
Fan Zhen
Fan Zhen was a Chinese philosopher of the Southern Dynasty, remembered today for his treatise Shén Miè Lùn ....
(藩镇) or “Buffer Town” system of administration, the Dan River area had the power to block transport on the Huai
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
and Bian
Bian River (China)
The Bian River , also known in Chinese as the Bian Shui , was an ancient river partly located within the borders of China’s Kaifeng City, Henan Province....
Rivers. As a result, the Dan became an important waterway in the Yangtze
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
and Huai River region.
At the time of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
(1368–1644) and later, the Dan was used by merchants of the Guanlong Trading Bloc (关陇集团) to transport goods to Xiangyang and Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
, both in Hubei Province. At the same time many shipping (船帮会馆) and horse-drawn transportation (马帮会馆) guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
s were established at Longju Village (龙驹寨) (modern day Danfeng County, Shaanxi Province), illustrating the flourishing trade on the Dan River.
In 1693, during the reign of the Qing Kangxi Emperor
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
, both Xi’an and Fengxiang County
Fengxiang County
Fengxiang County is a county administered by Baoji City, western Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China. The county covers an area of and as of 2004 had a population of 510,000...
on the Guanzhong
Guanzhong
Guanzhong , or Guanzhong Plain, is a historical region of China corresponding to the lower valley of the Wei River. It is called Guanzhong or 'within the passes' to distinguish it from 'Guandong' or 'east of the pass', that is, the North China Plain. The North China Plain is bordered on the west by...
Plain suffered crop failure bringing famine to the region. Ding Sikong (丁思孔), governor general of the provinces of Hubei and Guangdong with the assistance of others, sent relief aid from Xiangyang via the Dan River into Shaanxi Province after carrying out dredging operations. Famine reoccurred later during Kangxi’s reign in 1720 when 100,000 dan (石) (10000 m³ (353,146.7 cu ft)) of rice were shipped to Shaanxi from warehouses in Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, City, Hubei Province and other locations by boat along the Dan River to Longju Village. A decade later on the 16th February 1731, the Yongzheng Emperor
Yongzheng Emperor
The Yongzheng Emperor , born Yinzhen , was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the third Qing emperor from 1722 to 1735. A hard-working ruler, Yongzheng's main goal was to create an effective government at minimal expense. Like his father, the Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng used military...
ordered grain to be dispatched from Hubei and Guangdong to Shangzhou
Shangzhou District
Shangzhou District is a district of Shangluo, Shaanxi, China....
, Shaanxi as a contingency against food shortages. In 1737, during the Qianlong Emperor
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
’s reign, crops failed in Shangzhou and grain prices rocketed. To keep down prices and provide disaster relief, the authorities in Liguanqiao Town (李官桥镇) and Dengzhou
Dengzhou
Dengzhou , formerly Deng County , is a city in Nanyang, Henan, China. it has an area of 2,294 km² and a population of 1,500,000. The urban area is 35 km², and the urban population is 300,000. The city is located in the southwest of Henan province, adjacent to the borders between Henan,...
City in Xichuan County, Henan procured 1880 dan (188 m³ (6,639.2 cu ft)) of foodstuffs which was shipped along the Dan River to Shangzhou. The Qing Guangxu Emperor
Guangxu Emperor
The Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898...
’s reign saw the 1890 occupation of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
by the Eight-Nation Alliance
Eight-Nation Alliance
The Eight-Nation Alliance was an alliance of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States whose military forces intervened in China to suppress the anti-foreign Boxers and relieve the siege of the diplomatic legations in Beijing .- Events :The...
following the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
. The emperor along with Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
escaped to Xi’an. Grain taxes from the Jingdai (荆襄) District (south of modern day Neixiang County
Neixiang County
Neixiang County is a county of Nanyang, Henan, China, has an area of 2,465 square kilometers and a population of 610,000 as of 2002.-External links:*...
, Henan) were forwarded along the Dan River to Longju Village then on to Xi’an for use by the emperor along with his government and army.
With the advent of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
in 1912, a ballad spread amongst the people of Xichuan County featuring the words “The boatmen have three knives stuck in their stomachs: the river pirates, the bandits and the submerged reefs. They have only three choices: starvation, death by drowning or imprisonment.” In turn, the boatmen themselves referred to the Dan as the “Black River”, emphasizing the bandit problem.
At that time, three relatively large families controlled shipping; those of Ling Laosi (凌老四) from Jingziguan Town (荆紫关镇)，Guo Laopo (郭老婆) from Laocheng Town (老城镇) and Liguanqiao Town’s (李官桥镇) Jin Yulou (金玉楼), head of the Red Guild (红帮会). They were all considered leeches and exploiters by the boatmen. Records show that cargoes carried on the Dan River included kerosene, tobacco, chinaware, silk, medicinal ingredients, walnuts, peach kernels (used in Chinese medicine) and specialty products from the mountains.
During the 1940’s onwards, waterborne trade on the Dan went into decline.
Reasons for the decline in trade
Three primary factors account for the decline in trade on the Dan River during the previous century. Firstly, wooden sailboats were a relatively backward technology. On the Shangluo section of the waterway a maximum of only 4 tons could be carried up river and 10 tons downstream. With calm water, the 167 km round trip from Longju Village to Jingziguan took 20 days and involved heavy physical work with little return. However, in transportation terms, wooden sailboats were quite advanced for the time and there was no better option available. With the rapid growth of rail and road transportation from the early days of the Republic of China the sailboat’s days were numbered.The second factor concerns economic changes that occurred from the 1950s onwards. China’s implementation of economic regionalization and a state monopoly on purchasing and marketing effectively severed the upstream/downstream trade links on the Dan River. A decade later the 1962 “Cut off the tail of capitalism” policy (割掉资本主义尾巴) halted part time shipping activities by the farming community.
Thirdly, with deforestation and the construction of reservoirs the water sources for the Dan River declined. Large quantities of silt in the river bed increased the number of dangerous reefs so that parts of the waterway became impassable.
Major floods and natural disasters
The following are recorded amongst the many natural disasters that have occurred through history in the Dan River region:| Date (Year) | Event |
|---|---|
| 1520 | The river flooded, inundating fields and destroying innumerable houses |
| 1572 | Floodwater from the Dan reached a depth of 10 meters |
| 1593 | Heavy rain began in April and continued until July. Widespread famine. |
| 1606 | Heavy flooding, plague epidemic – many dead |
| 1627 | Crops damaged by heavy rain, the Dan overflowed |
| 1642 | Drought followed by floods, fields destroyed |
| 1644 | Heavy rain from August until November caused the Dan to overflow |
| 1658 | Rain from August until November causing the Dan to flow in reverse |
| 1667 | Large scale flooding |
| 1677 | Large scale flooding |
| 1685 | Heavy rain, water level above the fields, impossible to plant crops |
| 1722 | Heavy rain, large scale flooding, harvest destroyed |
| 1890 | The Dan flooded, submerging more than 30 villages |
| 1907 | Flooding, many houses damaged |
| 1919 | On May 8th, heavy rain fell and the river rose sharply, drowning many people |
| 1931 | Flood disaster in the summer and autumn, many houses on both banks of the Dan destroyed |
| 1935 | On June 6th, a flash flood occurred inundating more than 270,000 Chinese acres of land. Liguanqiao Town (李官桥镇) submerged in several feet of water. Continuous rain pounded the Songwan (宋湾) region of Tanghe County Tanghe County Tanghe County, administered by Nanyang, Henan, People's Republic of China. Its ancient name was Tángzhōu .This county consists of 20 townships and 503 administrative villages, with the population being approximately 1,280,000 and total area being 2,512 km². The local economy is mainly based on... for seven days and nights. |
| 1943 | Rain fell for 49 days during April and May causing the Dan to burst its banks |
| 1950 | In the autumn continuous heavy rain fell, Liguanqiao (李官桥) and Bukoujie (埠口街) suffered heavily. The Dan flowed backwards due to the sheer volume of water. In October, the next season’s crops were planted in the rain. |
| 1951 | At the end of May, heavy rain was followed by hailstorms which destroyed innumerable crops in Jingziguan (荆紫关), Songwan (宋湾), Hushan (岵山) and Liguanqiao (李官桥) |
| 1952 | In May, torrential rains caused the Dan to flood damaging fields and houses. As winter approached snow fell for twenty or more days. Sweet potatoes froze in the fields.337 houses collapsed and 270 oxen perished. |
| 1953 | On June 13th, torrential rain fell and continued for a month. The Dan River overflowed, drowning ten people, destroying 36,000 Chinese acres of crops and causing more than 3,500 houses to collapse. |
| 1954 | During July and August heavy rain fell, the Dan rose, reaching a peak flow rate of 10300 cubic metres (363,741.1 cu ft) per second. Along the river 52 villages were damaged. |
| 1955 | Continuous heavy rain fell during August, flash floods occurred destroying 88,000 Chinese acres of crops. |
| 1956 | Heavy rain in May caused the Dan to overflow; newly planted wheat rotted in the fields |
| 1957 | 530 millimetres (20.9 in) fell in one continuous period destroying 72,000 Chinese acres of crops and causing 3,000 houses to collapse. The Dan reached a peak flow rate of 10800 cubic metres (381,398.4 cu ft) per second |