Ancient China’s Geography: Mountains, Rivers, and “You Shall Not Pass!”

Ancient China had everything — massive mountains, scorching deserts, roaring rivers, and farmland squeezed in wherever it fit. The Himalayas said, “No visitors, please,” while the Gobi Desert was just dry and dramatic.

The Yellow River was helpful but moody (nicknamed “China’s Sorrow” because of surprise floods), and the Yangtze River was like its calmer, cooler cousin.

Basically: nature made it hard to invade… and even harder to travel without getting sunburned, soaked, or stuck on a mountain.