From mouth to source: Tracing China's Pearl River

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The Pearl River, known as Zhujiang in Chinese, is the second-largest river system in southern China.

Through a vast network of tributaries, it nourishes and drains a basin bigger in size than Sweden. While it may not be as famous as the Yangtze or the Yellow River, the path it draws through southern China takes it through some of the country’s most breathtaking and ethnically diverse regions.

This week, Travelogue embarks on a grand voyage, tracing the Pearl River from its mouth to its source.

At its mouth lies the Pearl River Delta, the world’s largest megacity. It’s one of China’s economic powerhouses with over 66 million residents, which is more populous than Britain.

At the root of its success lies the Pearl River. Here its three main tributaries, the Xijiang (West River), Beijiang (North River) and Dongjiang (East River) meet to form a rich, alluvial delta that flows into the South China Sea.

For millennia, locals have tilled its lands and fished its waters. And in the last two centuries, China saw the bulk of its maritime trade with the West concentrated here in port cities like Guangzhou.

‘Yubaojiucai’ – fish wrapped around chives, an ethnic Shui delicacy. /CGTN Photo

Naturally, local cultures and cuisines grew to revolve around the Pearl River.

In every town, village or hamlet along its waterways, seafood features prominently, from the fresh oysters of Zhuhai to the exquisite cuisine of Shunde, and the spicy fish wraps of the ethnic Shui people.

Caves dot the cliffs of Dashiwei Tiankeng, the world’s deepest sinkhole. /CGTN Photo

In some places, its tributaries have quite literally changed the face of our planet.

As tourists travel further upstream, the scenery around the Pearl River shifts from wide, flat plains to emerald hillocks and karst mountains.

Its broad tributaries transform into rapids, lakes and mountain springs. Sometimes the Pearl River emerges as a waterfall; other times it goes deep underground, boring through and collapsing limestone caves to create immense sinkholes that are very much gateways into another world.

The scene of Zenlei Village, Guizhou Province. /CGTN Photo

The Pearl River is a most remarkable river system that has shaped the life in much of southern China.