The Drichu is one of the four great rivers of Eastern Tibet. It is known further downstream as the Yangtze (Ch. Chang Jiang, “Long River”), and is famed as the longest river in Asia. It flows in a southerly direction a little to the west of Degé, which is situated on one of its tributaries. These upper reaches of the Yangtze are known in Chinese by the name Jinsha Jiang (“Golden Sand River”).