The Pearl River (珠江 Pinyin: Zhū Jiāng) is China's third longest river (2,200 km, after the Yangtze River and the Huang He), and second largest by volume (after the Yangtze). Located in the south, it flows into the South China Sea between Hong Kong and Macau. Its lower reach forms the Pearl River Delta.

The Pearl is also known as Yue Jiang (粵江 "Guangdong River"). It is named after a sandy or stony island in the middle of the river called Sea Pearl (海珠). This island is now in the bank, due to the river's change of course.

It is formed by convergence of the Xi Jiang, the Bei Jiang, and the Dong Jiang. The river flows through the majority of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou Provinces, and parts of Hunan and Jiangxi, forming the 409,480 km² Pearl River Basin (珠江流域).

A 500 kV-power line, suspended from the tallest pylons of the world (Pylons of Pearl River Crossing), crosses the Pearl River near its mouth.

See also

• Geography of China
• List of rivers in China