The Chinese name comes from a fabled river in the Journey to the West. In antiquity, it was called the Yak River. In Mongolian, this section is known as the Murui-ussu (lit. "Winding Stream")[1] and is sometimes confused with the nearby Baishui.[2]
The three principal headwaters—the Chumaer, Muluwusu, and Akedamu rivers—join to form the Tongtian River, which flows southeast to Zhimenda near the frontier between Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, where it becomes the Jinsha River (Jinsha Jiang). The Jinsha River is a primary tributary of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang).
The Tongtian River is one of the five large rivers flowing from headwaters on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.[3] Its length is 1,012 kilometres, draining an area of 138,000 square kilometres. Pilgrims go to the river because it is mythical, but also it is known for its "sutra bridge" and "Gyiana Mani stones".[clarification needed][4]
The Tongtian is planned for heavy development, primarily for hydroelectric power. As of March 2014 a total of 10 dams are planned for the river. Those dams are listed below from downstream to upstream.[5][6]
^Ravenstein, Ernest & al. (ed.). The Earth and Its Inhabitants, Vol. VII: "East Asia: Chinese Empire, Corea, and Japan," p. 199Archived April 24, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. D. Appleton & Co. (New York), 1884. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
^Yule, Henry. The River of Golden Sand: The Narrative of a Journey Through China and Eastern Tibet to Burmah, Vol. 1, p. 35Archived May 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. "Introductory Essay." 1880. Reprint: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
