World's Thinnest River Identified in China

Chinese environmental scientists recently identified the thinnest river in the world, only a dozen centimeters at its widest, on the Inner Mongolia Plateau in north China.

As one of four branches entering Dalai Nur Lake in the Hexigten Grasslands nature reserve, this is the 17-km-long Haolai River. The word "Haolai" in the Mongolian language means the entrance to the throat.

The depth of the river is about 50 cm, while the width is from a dozen to a few centimeters, and a notebook can serve as a bridge over this river.

Experts have found that the source of the river is an underground spring, and the water flow is steady with a wide expanse of land flanking it.

The experts say they are surprised to see that this narrow river has all the conditions common to any natural river. They also proved that the Haolai River has been flowing for more than 10,000 years.



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