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A River-Crossed Land Yunnan is
criss-crossed by around 600 rivers. They all connect to the six
important water systems - the Irrawaddy, Nujiang, Langcang,
Yangtze, Honghe and Zhujiang rivers. Yunnan's water resources
account for 15.3 per cent of China's total, ranking third among
all the provinces, just after Tibet and Sichuan.
About 85.2 per cent of the water resources in the province which
can be utilized for generating electricity, center on the Jinsha
River, Lancang River and Nujiang River. Recently the Manwan
Hydroelectric Station on the Lancang River began operation. The
Dachaoshan Hydropower Station with an installed capacity of 1.35
million KW is now under construction. The Lubuge Hydropower
Station with an installed capacity of 600,000 KW, is constructed
and equipped with the most advanced technology in the
country.There are also countless small hydropower stations
throughout the province, which are vital to the local economy and
the improvement of people's living standards.It is estimated that
the total installed capacity which could be developed in Yunnan is
over 90 million KW. Electricity is now available in all the 120
cities and counties of the province. Apart from its
rivers Yunnan is known for its numerous limestone fault
lakes,around 30 in all, so it has the most fresh-water lakes in
southwestern China. These beautiful lakes include the Dianchi Lake
in Kunming,the Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang, the Xingyun Lake in
Jiangchuan, the Yangzong Lake in Yiliang, the Qili Lake in Tonghai,
the Erhai Lake in Dali, the Chenghai Lake in Yongsheng, the Lugu
Lake in Ninglang, the Jianhu Lake in Jianchuan, the Zibi Lake in
Eryuan, the Yilong Lake in Shiping, and Nanhu, Changqiao and Datun
Lakes in Mengzi. The deepest of these lakes is 150 meters and the
shallowest no more than 20 meters. They are like numerous shining
mirrors embedded in the highland regions. The land around the
lakes is very fertile, excellent for farming, and the majority of
Yunnan people reside in these areas. Because of its
geographical location, Yunnan has a bright future for the
development of solar energy, heat energy, wind energy and
geothermal energy. The coal reserves rank ninth among Chinese
provinces, with brown coal reserves totalling 1.54 million tons,
the largest reserves in the country. |
