The Tarim River (Mandarin Dayan) is the principal river of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China.

Formed from the union of the Aksu and Yarkand rivers, it flows in an eastward direction around the Taklamakan Desert. It drains into Lop Nur, a series of salt lakes. Its total length is 2,090km (or 1,299 mi).

It is shallow, unsuitable for navigation, and because of its heavy silt load, forms a braided stream near its terminus. It gives its name to the arid Tarim Basin.

References

• Hill, John E. 2003. "Annotated Translation of the Chapter on the Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu." 2nd Draft Edition.[1]
• Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation. [2]
• Hulsewé, A. F. P. and Loewe, M. A. N. 1979. China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC – AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty. E. J. Brill, Leiden.
• Stein, Aurel M. 1907. Ancient Khotan: Detailed report of archaeological explorations in Chinese Turkestan, 2 vols. Clarendon Press. Oxford. [3]
• Stein, Aurel M. 1921. Serindia: Detailed report of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China, 5 vols. London & Oxford. Clarendon Press. Reprint: Delhi. Motilal Banarsidass. 1980. [4]

Suggested reading

• Baumer, Christoph. 2000. Southern Silk Road: In the Footsteps of Sir Aurel Stein and Sven Hedin. White Orchid Books. Bangkok.
• Mallory, J.P. and Mair, Victor H. 2000. The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West. Thames & Hudson. London.

See also

• Geography of China

External links

• Information and a map of the Tarim's watershed
• Silk Road Seattle (The Silk Road Seattle website contains many useful resources including a number of full text historical texts)