Tongtian River
river in China, the upper course of the Yangtze River
The Tongtian River (Chinese: 通天河, Tōngtiān Hé) or Zhi Qu (Tibetan) is a 1,012 km (629 mi) long river in Qinghai Province in western China. It begins at the confluence of the Ulan Moron and Dangqu rivers, before flowing southeast and meeting the Jinsha River near the border of Qinghai and Sichuan. It is part of the Yangtze River drainage basin.
Name
The Chinese name comes from a fabled river in the classic novel Journey to the West. In antiquity, it was called the Yak River. In Mongolian, this section is known as the Murui-ussu (Муруй-Ус, lit. "Winding Water") and is sometimes confused with the nearby Baishui.
Geography
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.
The public source identifies “Tongtian River” as river in China, the upper course of the Yangtze River. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Tongtian, River and river.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Tongtian River”, the useful work is to connect “river in China, the upper course of the Yangtze River” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7821148. Authority coordinates are 32.978, 97.244. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Tongtian River”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Tongtian River primary sources, Tongtian River archive and Tongtian research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Tongtian River”?
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- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Tongtian River” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.