Mekong River | Adventures

A River Rises

The Mekong River rises in the Himalayas in China, in the ‘three-rivers’ area.

More specifically the source of the Mekong River is located in the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai province, China, originating from the Zayaqu River, which begins at a small glacier on Lasagongma Mountain in Zadou County, at an elevation of 5167 metres.

The headwaters are protected within the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve which translates to “Source of Three Rivers” because the Yellow River and Yangtze River also originate in this same plateau region.

As it flows south it forms the border between Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. The river continues its journey through Cambodia and discharges into the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam.

The river is approximately 4350 kilometres long, making it the 12th longest river in the world and the 7th longest in Asia.

Naming

The Mekong River has many names. In China, it is known as the Lancang Jiang, meaning ‘turbulent river’. The Thai and the Lao refer to it as Mae Kong or Mae Nam Kong, meaning ‘mother water’. In Cambodia it is known as Tonle Than – ‘great waters’. In the delta, where the river splits into multiple branches, the Vietnamese refer to it as Cuu Long, meaning ‘nine dragons’.

Flow

75% of the Mekong’s annual flow falls with the monsoon between July and October. This huge surge of water is referred to as the ‘flood pulse’, and causes extensive flooding, particularly in the lower reaches.

This concentration of rain July to October causes the Mekong River to have the greatest ‘hydrological variability’ (high and low flow) of any river in the world.

Despite the extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls making navigation difficult, the Mekong is a major trade route between western China and South East Asia.

Dams, both constructed and planned, are adversely effecting the flow of the Mekong River. While most of the are in the upper reaches of the river in China, several are planned around Pak Beng in Laos.

Biologically Productive

The Mekong River is claimed to be among the most biologically productive of all systems on earth. It is still a very wild river, not very populated. No heavy industry, no large cities and, until recently, no dams along its entire length. Although development is occurring, there are still very few bridges over the river.

The Mekong River produces about 2.6 million tonnes of fish per year. This is about 13 times the marine fisheries sector of Australia.

Slow Boats

There are many ‘Slow Boats’ on the Mekong River but the one most often referred to plies from Huay Xai in Laos (directly opposite Chiang Khong in Thailand) to Luang Prabang, Laos. The numerous boats and staggered departure times cater for the vagaries of Laotian border immigration. The Slow Boat route covers 297 kilometres of the Mekong River, through rainforest-covered, mountainous country, peppered occasionally with small, remote villages.

The mid-way point of the Slow Boat journey – Pak Beng – has been opened to the outside world by a road and bridge since only 2019.

‘Slow Boats’ plying the river are of traditional design – the rudder is at the stern; the controls are 50 metres forward at the bow. Clearly, controlling such an extremely long, shallow draft boat requires the skipper to make some anticipatory adjustments to his line. A deft skill that requires much practice if the boat is not to end up on the rocks.

The Driver obviously knows his way very well because there are no guideposts. If there any markers, they are well disguised. River pilot Esoterica magnificently displayed.

GPX File of River Course

A GPX file is here.

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