WU RIVER

WadeGiles romanization Wu Chiang, Pinyin Wu Jiang, tributary of the Yangtze River in southern China. It rises in the hills of western Kweichow Province and flows east through narrow gorges between steep cliffs. It turns north at Ssu-nan, enters Szechwan Province, and flows into the Yangtze at Fu-ling after a total course of 700 mi (1,100 km). Its drainage basin of 31,000 sq mi (80,000 sq km), including most of Kweichow, is a region of rugged terrain and an ethnically diverse population. Until the mid-20th century the river did little to reduce the region's isolation, for reefs and rapids prevented navigation for all but a few short stretches. Since the 1950s, however, blasting and dredging have opened more than 300 mi to motorized boats.