Why is the Yellow River also called "China's Sorrow"?

Question

Why is the Yellow River also called "China's Sorrow"?

Answer 1

All the answerers (Marcelino Angelo made a mention though) gave the right description of 'Hwang Ho' or Yellow River, the second important river in China.

One point that was missed and is unique to this river is, its tendency to change its course a couple of hundred miles before it joins the sea. Now it joins 'Bo Hai' to the north of Shantung peninsula but changed course several times to the south of Shantung and joined Yellow Sea (Hwang Hai). Whether north or south of it the country side has several traces of its past course. This tendency of a big causes real havoc like no other river. Shantung peninsula is not a small area. Imagine, Mississipi River suddenly altering course with no prior notice to join Atlantic ocean north of Florida!

Answer 2

The Yellow River is called Yellow because the silt it picks up turns the river a yellowish color.

But the reason it is also sometimes called China's Sorrow is because it often floods and would destroy villages and crops. Although the silt that flooded the harvest areas was in the end beneficial... well, the people didn't feel that way as their houses were being swept down the river.

So it was called China's Sorrow, but also it should be known as one of the most prosperous natural resources that China has.

Answer 3

River Huang Ho is known as China's Sorrow bcz itz water is very dirty n yellow in color. Also the water is useless as it is 2 dirty 2 use 4 ne kinda household or irrigational purposes.

Answer 4

The delta around Yellow river and its banks form one of the most prosperous agricultural lands in China. But in ancient and medieval times, the river frquently used to flood and the harvest was destroyed. Since the river used to be a substantial supplier of foodgrains, with a flood, it left thousands of people starved and hungry. Hence it was called China's sorrow.

Answer 5

Because it is prone to flooding.

"It is named "China's Sorrow" because of its high tendency to flood, often killing many thousands of people. Many people live along the banks of this river because it provides rich soils for farmlands and crops which support much of China. When the river floods, not only does it kill people living nearby, but destroys all the crops. With no food, people across China suffer as well. Just between 1887 and 1943, a 50 year period, the Yellow River killed about 10 million people from catastrophic floods and famine."

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_the_Yel...

"The Yellow River is called “China’s Sorrow” because it is extremely prone to flooding. Between 602 B.C.E. and 1938, it flooded 1,593 times, and changed course 26 times. ..."

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entr...