The river known as the Yangtze River, or Yangtze Kiang, or Chang Jiang, is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world after the Nile River and the Amazon River. The river flows entirely in China for 6,300 kilometers (3,915 miles), passing from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea. The river serves as a lifeline for about a third of China’s population.