Into which sea does the Yangtze River empty?

The Yangtze River empties into the East China Sea.

China’s longest river runs generally eastward from the Tanggula Mountains on the Tibetan Plateau through several provinces and major cities, including Chongqing, Wuhan and Nanjing. Near its lower course, it passes through Jiangsu and reaches the coast at the Shanghai region, where its estuary opens into the East China Sea.

The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia and one of the world’s great waterways. Its basin drains a large portion of China and receives water from major tributaries such as the Jialing, Han and Min rivers. Lake Poyang, China’s largest freshwater lake, also connects with the Yangtze system.

The Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea are nearby bodies of water, which can cause confusion because the river’s lower basin lies close to China’s eastern coastal seas. The South China Sea is farther south and is not the Yangtze’s outlet. The river’s estuary has long supported shipping, agriculture and the growth of Shanghai.