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About Vietnam >> Vietnam's Geography :>> Vietnam's Geography - Rivers :> Red River The Red River, rising in China's Yunnan province, is about 1,200 kilometers long. Its two main tributaries, the Song Lo (also called the Lo River, or the Clear River) and the Song Da (also called the Black River), contribute to its high water volume, which averages 500 million cubic meters per second, but may increase by more than 60 times at the peak of the rainy season. The entire delta region, backed by the steep rises of the forested highlands, is no more than three meters above sea level, and much of it is one meter or less. The area is subject to frequent flooding; at some places the high-water mark of floods is fourteen meters above the surrounding countryside. For centuries flood control has been an integral part of the delta's culture and economy. An extensive system of dikes and canals has been built to contain the Red River and to irrigate the rich rice-growing delta. Modeled on that of China's, this ancient system has sustained a highly concentrated population and has made double -cropping wet-rice cultivation possible throughout about half the region. :> Perfume Rive The Perfume River (in Vietnamese is Song Huong or Huong Giang) is a river crossing capital city of Hue. The Perfume River is 30 km long and runs very slowly (as the river level is not much above sea level). It is beautiful sight from its source as it winds among mountains and through thick forests bringing with it fragrances of tropical flora. The river with its shimmering, blue, limpid colour is like a pearl in the sun. It has been a pleasure for many generations of tourists to go boating in order to better behold the poetic landscape and to listen to the folk melodies of Hue in tranquil nights. The constructions on both sides of the river, including the citadel, town, gardens, pagodas, towers and temples, etc. and the reflections they cast in the waters make the river seem even more poetic and musical. Many people attribute Hue’s peaceful, gentle and tranquil landscapes to the Perfume River. :> Mekong River The Mekong, which is 4,220 kilometers long, is one of the 12 great rivers of the world. From its source in the Tibetan plateau, it flows through the Tibetan and Yunnan regions of China, forms the boundary between Laos and Myanmar as well as between Laos and Thailand, divides into two branches - the Song Hau Giang and Song Tien Giang - below Phnom Penh, and continues through Cambodia and the Mekong basin before draining into the South China Sea through nine mouths known as the Cuu Long (nine dragons). The river is heavily silted and is navigable by seagoing craft of shallow draft as far as Kompong Cham in Cambodia. A tributary entering the river at Phnom Penh drains the Tonlo Sap, a shallow freshwater lake that acts as a natural reservoir to stabilize the flow of water through the lower Mekong. When the river is in flood stage, its Silted delta outlets are unable to carry off the high volume of water. Floodwaters back up into the Tonle Sap, causing the lake to inundate as much as 10,000 square kilometers. As the flood subsides, the flow of water reverses and proceeds from the lake to the sea. The effect is to reduce significantly the danger of devastating floods in the Mekong delta, where the river floods the surrounding fields each year to a level of one to two meters.
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