Why are there six major diversions in the history of the Yellow River?

The history of the six major diversions of the Yellow River is as follows:

1. The first great diversion was in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period (602 BC). From now on, Xunxian County in Henan Province will be diverted from south to east, and then from northeast to northwest of Shandong Province, into Hebei Province, along the Weihe River, and northward into the sea. This river has been stable for about 470 years. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there were frequent breaches, especially during the hundred years between the Han Dynasty (that is, from 30 BC to 70 AD).

2. The second great diversion was three years after the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC) (A.D. 1 1). The main stream of the Yellow River decided to flow eastward. Since then, Shandong has entered the sea, and branches have flooded in the area of western Shandong and eastern Henan. It was not until 60 years in the 13th year of Yongping in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 70) that it was decided to divert the river to a fixed river, and the river flooded for a hundred years. This is the second great shift in history.

3. The third diversion was in the eighth year of Injong (A.D. 1048). The Yellow River burst in the eastern part of Puyang today and went north along the Weihe River to the sea. After Wang Jingding settled the river, he left the old road, went to the west and east of Puyang today, flowed to the north of the Yellow River today, and went to Lijin to enter the sea. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the river was stable for more than 700 years, but it was blocked again and again in the Song Dynasty, so it was closed to Puyang East in the eighth year of Injong (A.D. 1048).

4. The fourth diversion took place in the fifth year of Jin Zhangzong Mingchang (A.D. 1 194). The Yellow River burst in Wu Yang (now Yuanyang) and poured into the water margin in the east, which was divided into two factions. After the third diversion, in 12, another tributary was decided in Daming East, Hebei Province, and Ma Jiahe entered the sea in the northeast. Since the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty for decades, the main stream of the Yellow River has sometimes moved eastward, sometimes northward, and sometimes the two streams are parallel, and some have decided to migrate beyond the two streams.

The lower reaches of the Yellow River are blocked, and the breach develops westward, which is gone forever. There are often several rivers at the same time, which are the mainstream of each other. After more than 60 years, until the fifth year of Zhang Zong Mingchang, the river decided to inject Wu Yang (now Yuanyang) into the water margin in the east and divide it into two factions. Two or three tenths of its water flows into the sea from the North Qinghe River (now the Yellow River) and seven or eight tenths from the South Qinghe River (Surabaya) into the Huaihe River. This is the fourth water diversion.

5. The fifth diversion, the seventh year of Hongzhi in Ming Dynasty (AD 1494). Liu Daxia built the Taihang levee to cut off the North Stream, and the whole river flowed into the Huaihe River. About 20 years after the fourth diversion, the river did not cross the water margin, and the mainstream overflowed from the southeast of Yanjin and merged into the Immigrant River. It can be seen that the third and fourth great migration can never be compared with the first and second great migration. In fact, in the third and fourth great migrations, there has not been a stable situation.

6. The sixth shunt was 1855 (five years of Qing Xianfeng). In Tongwa Township (now west of Batou Village, east of lankao county City, Henan Province), it broke. After the fifth major diversion, the road to Huai River is still divided into several branches, and the mainstream changes from time to time. For more than 60 years, until Pan Jixun succeeded in controlling water in the sixth year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty (AD 1578), there were fixed rivers from Si to Huai River.

Generally speaking, the Yellow River is silted up now. During this period, the Yellow River made dozens of great migrations, and finally it was blocked every time and led back to the old road. 1855, Tongwa carriage burst. At that time, the Qing government was busy suppressing the Taiping Army, unable to stop it, so it formed the sixth diversion.

Geological influence

The gestation, birth and development of the Yellow River are controlled by geological processes in geological history. The tectonic movements caused by crustal changes are external forces, and the erosion, transportation and accumulation generated by itself under hydrogeological conditions are internal forces. In the historical process of becoming a river, it keeps moving forward and keeps pace with the times. Soil erosion in the Loess Plateau and sediment deposition in the lower reaches of the Yellow River have existed since prehistoric geological times.

The influence of human activities has been increasing day by day throughout history. According to various studies, the ancient Yellow River has three stages of development: the early Pleistocene from Tertiary to Quaternary is the gestation period of the ancient Yellow River. The middle Pleistocene in Quaternary (110.5 million years ago) was the birth period of the ancient Yellow River. In the late Pleistocene (654.38+ 10,000 years ago ~ 654.38+ 10,000 years ago), the Yellow River formed a marine water system.