Editing Hai River

{{Short description|River in Tianjin, China}}
{{about|the river in China|the canal in Iraq|Shatt al-Hayy}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Hai River
| native_name        ={{native name|zh|海河}}
| name_other         = Hai He
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = 炫彩津门99海河夜景.jpg
| image_size         = 300px
| image_caption      = Hai River in [[Tianjin]]
| map                = Hai River Basin EN.svg
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = Hai River basin
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_size   = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-zoom      = 8
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = China
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[Tianjin]], [[Hebei]], [[Beijing]], [[Henan]], [[Inner Mongolia]], [[Shanxi]], [[Shandong]]
| subdivision_type3  = 
| subdivision_name3  = 
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = 
| subdivision_name5  = 
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|1329|km|mi|abbr=on}} 
| width_min          = 
| width_avg          = 
| width_max          = 
| depth_min          = 
| depth_avg          = 
| depth_max          = 
| discharge1_location= 
| discharge1_min     = 
| discharge1_avg     = {{convert|717|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max     = 
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = [[Taihang Mountains]]、[[Yan Mountains]]
| source1_location   = 
| source1_coordinates= 
| source1_elevation  = 
| mouth              = [[Bohai Sea]]
| mouth_location     = 
| mouth_coordinates  = 
| mouth_elevation    = 
| progression        = 
| river_system       = 
| basin_size         = {{convert|318200|km2|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left   = 
| tributaries_right  = 
| custom_label       = 
| custom_data        = 
| extra              = 
}}
{{chinese
| c = {{linktext|海|河}} 
| p = Hǎi Hé 
| l = Sea River
| altname = Peiho 
| c2 = {{linktext|白|河}} 
| p2 = Bái Hé 
| l2 = White River
}}

The '''Hai River''' (海河, lit. "Sea River"), [[Postal Map Romanization|also]] known as the '''Peiho''', {{nowrap|'''Pei Ho'''}} ("White River"), or '''Hai Ho''',  is a Chinese [[rivers of China|river]] connecting [[Beijing]] to [[Tianjin]] and the [[Bohai Sea]].

During the [[Song dynasty]], the main stream of the Hai River was called the lower section of the Jie River. In the [[Jin dynasty (266–420)|Jin]] and [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] dynasties, it was renamed as Zhígǔ River (直沽河, lit. “Straight Gu River") and Dàgǚ River (大沽河, lit. “Great Gu River") respectively. The name Hai River first appeared towards the end of the [[Ming dynasty]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=王国春, 海河志编纂委员会 |title=海河志: 第一卷 |publisher=中国水利水电出版社 |year=1997 |pages=128 |language=zh |trans-title=Hai River Annals: Volume One}}</ref>

The Hai River at [[Tianjin]] is formed by the [[confluence]] of five watercourses: the '''Southern Canal''', '''Ziya River''', '''Daqing River''', '''Yongding River''', and the '''Northern Canal'''. The southern and northern canals are parts of the [[Grand Canal of China|Grand Canal]]. The Southern Canal is joined by the '''[[Wei River (Shandong)|Wei River]]''' at [[Linqing]]. The Northern Canal joins with the '''Bai He''' (or '''[[Chaobai River]]''') at [[Tongzhou District, Beijing|Tongzhou]]. The Northern Canal (sharing a channel with Bai He) is also the only waterway from the sea to [[Beijing]]. Therefore, early Westerners also called the Hai He the Bai He.

At Tianjin, through the Grand Canal, the Hai connects with the [[Yellow River|Yellow]] and [[Yangtze River|Yangtze]] rivers. The construction of the Grand Canal greatly altered the rivers of the Hai He basin.  Previously, the Wei, Ziya [[Yongding River|Yongding]] and Bai Rivers flowed separately to the sea.  The Grand Canal cut through the lower reaches of these rivers and fused them into one outlet to the sea, in the form of the current Hai He.

The Hai River is {{Convert|1,329|km|mi|sp=us}} long measured from the longest tributary. However, the Hai River is only around {{Convert|70|km|mi|sp=us}} from Tianjin to its estuary. Its basin has an area of approximately {{Convert|319,000|km2|abbr=on}}.

==History==
[[Image:Tianjin Hai River 2.JPG|thumb|left|The Bund of the Hai River.]]
On 20 May 1858, the Pei-ho, as it was then known, was the scene of an [[Battle of Taku Forts (1858)|invasion by Anglo-French forces]] during the [[Second Opium War]] whereby the [[Taku Forts]] were captured.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VqI1AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA2869|journal=Bulletins and Other State Intelligence for the Year 1858|title=List of Casualties|volume=Part 3|place=London|publisher=Harrison and Sons|date=1860|pages=2869–2874}}</ref>  
 
In 1863 seagoing ships could reach the head of navigation at [[Tongzhou District, Beijing|Tongzhou]], but the crooked river was difficult for large vessels.<ref>Alexander Michie,The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg, 1864</ref>
During the [[Boxer Rebellion]], Imperial Chinese forces deployed a weapon called "electric [[Naval mine|mine]]s" on June 15, at the Baihe river before the [[Battle of Taku Forts (1900)]], to prevent the western [[Eight-Nation Alliance]] from sending ships to attack. This was reported by American military intelligence in the United States. War Dept. by the United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6VAAAAAYAAJ&q=June+15%2C+it+was+learned+that+the+mouth+of+the+river+was+protected+by+electric+mines%2C+that+the+forts+at+Taku+were&pg=PA533|title=Publication, Issue 33|author=United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division|year=1901|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office|G.P.O.]]|location=WASHINGTON|page=533|access-date=February 19, 2011}}(Document (United States. War Dept.))(Original from Harvard University)</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/reportsonmilita00divigoog|quote=June 15, it was learned that the mouth of the river was protected by electric mines, that the forts at Taku were.|title=Reports on military operations in South Africa and China. July, 1901|author=United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division, Stephen L'H. Slocum, Carl Reichmann, Adna Romanga Chaffee|year=1901|publisher=[[Govt. print. off.]]|location=WASHINGTON|page=[https://archive.org/details/reportsonmilita00divigoog/page/n579 533]|access-date=February 19, 2011}}(Issue 33 of Publication (United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division)
Issue 143 of Document, United States War Dept
Issue 33 of Publication, United States Adjutant-General's Office)</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHbxAAAAMAAJ&q=electric+mines|title=Reilly's Battery: a story of the Boxer Rebellion|author=Monro MacCloskey|year=1969|publisher=R. Rosen Press|page=95|isbn=9780823901456 |access-date=February 19, 2011}}(Original from the University of Wisconsin - Madison)</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/reportsonmilita01divigoog|quote=June 15, it was learned that the mouth of the river was protected by electric mines, that the forts at Taku were.|title=Reports on military operations in South Africa and China|author=Stephan L'H. Slocum, Carl Reichmann, Adna Romanza Chaffee, United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division|year=1901|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office|G.P.O.]]|location=WASHINGTON|page=[https://archive.org/details/reportsonmilita01divigoog/page/n585 533]|access-date=February 19, 2011}}(Issue 143 of Document (United States. War Dept.))(Original from the New York Public Library)</ref>

Like the Yellow River, the Hai is exceedingly muddy because of the powdery soil through which it flows. The silt carried by the water deposits in the lower reaches, sometimes causing flooding. The waters from the five major tributaries only have one shallow outlet to the sea, which makes such floods stronger. Because China's capital (and second largest city), Beijing, and the third largest city, Tianjin, both lie in the Hai He Basin, Hai He floods cause a significant loss. To alleviate flooding, reservoirs have been built and artificial channels dug to divert excess water directly into the sea. For example, the [[Chaobai River]] is diverted to the [[Chaobai Xin River]] and no longer joins with the Northern Canal.

Due to industrial and urban development in the Hai He Basin, the volume of water flow has greatly decreased. Many smaller tributaries and some of the major tributaries are dry for most of the year. With reduced water flow, water pollution worsens. The water shortage in the Hai He basin is expected to be alleviated by the [[South-North Water Transfer Project]].

==See also==
* [[Geography of China]]
* [[Taku Forts|Taku (Peiho) Forts]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{PD-old-text|title=Publication, Issue 33 Document (United States. War Dept.)|year=1901|author=United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division}}
*{{PD-old-text|title=Reports on military operations in South Africa and China. July, 1901|year=1901|author=United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division, Stephen L'H. Slocum, Carl Reichmann, Adna Romanga Chaffee}}
*{{PD-old-text|title=Reports on military operations in South Africa and China|year=1901|author=Stephan L'H. Slocum, Carl Reichmann, Adna Romanza Chaffee, United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division}}

==Further reading==
* Domagalski, J.L., et al. (2001). ''Comparative water-quality assessment of the Hai He River basin in the People's Republic of China and three similar basins in the United States'' [U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1647]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.

==External links==
{{commons and category|Hai He|Hai River}}

{{China Rivers}}
{{Shandong topics}}

{{coord|38|57|N|117|43|E|display=title|region:CN_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Beijing]]
[[Category:Rivers of Tianjin]]
[[Category:Rivers of Hebei]]
[[Category:Rivers of Henan]]
[[Category:Rivers of Inner Mongolia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Shanxi]]
[[Category:Rivers of Shandong]]