North China Plain

North China Plain, large alluvial plain of northern China, built up along the shore of the Yellow Sea by deposits of the Huang He (Yellow River) and the Huai, Hai, and a few other minor rivers of northern China. Covering an area of about 158,000 square miles (409,500 square km), most of which is below 160 feet (50 metres) above sea level, it is one of the most densely populated areas in the world; since earliest times, it has been a major focus of Chinese (Han) culture. The plain is bordered on the north by the Yan Mountains, on the west by the Taihang Mountains and the Henan highlands, and on the southwest by the Tongbai and Dabie mountains. To the south it merges into the Yangtze Plain. From northeast to southeast it fronts the Bo Hai (Gulf of Chihli), the hills of Shandong Peninsula, and the Yellow Sea. Most of the rivers flow across the plain on elevated beds that are above the surrounding areas. Throughout most of history, widespread flooding about every two years out of three was common on the plain. After 1949, however, large-scale projects for flood control and irrigation were built. Wheat, cotton, sesame seed, peanuts (groundnuts), and tobacco are raised, and sea salt is sun-dried along the coast. Beijing, the national capital, is located on the northwest edge of the plain, and Tianjin, an important industrial city and commercial port, is situated near the northeast coast. The Grand Canal, beginning at Beijing, crosses the eastern part of the plain and then continues to the south and southeast to Suzhou and Hangzhou.