Aksu River (Xinjiang)

For other uses, see Aksu River (disambiguation).

Aksu River (Uyghur: ئاقسۇ دەرياسى‎, Chinese: 阿克苏河)
Saryjaz River, Sary-Jaz River, Sary-Djaz River
Name origin: Ak Su (White/Clear Water) Turkish
Countries	Kyrgyzstan, China
Tributaries
- left	Engilchek River
- right	Keolyu River, Uch-Kol River, Ak-Shiyrak River
Source	Semenov's glacier
Length	282 km (175 mi)
Basin	31,982 km2 (12,348 sq mi)
Discharge	for Aksu, Xinjiang
- average	249 m3/s (8,793 cu ft/s)
Aksu River shown within the Tarim basin

The Aksu River (Uyghur: ئاقسۇ دەرياسى‎, ULY: Aqsu deryasi; simplified Chinese: 阿克苏河; traditional Chinese: 阿克蘇河; pinyin: Ākèsù hé; means "white/clear water" in Turkish) is a transboundary river in the Xinjiang province in China and Ak-Suu District of Issyk Kul Province of Kyrgyzstan. In Kyrgyzstan it is known as the Saryjaz River (Kyrgyz: Сарыжаз). The total length of the river is 282 kilometres (175 mi), of which 197 kilometres (122 mi) are in Kyrgyzstan. The Aksu River is the only one of the Tarim's source rivers to run throughout the year.

Course

The river takes its roots at the north west slopes of Kan Tenir mountains in Kyrgyzstan. From here it first runs towards the west, before turning south and breaking through the high mountains and into Xinjiang in the northern parts of the Tarim Basin. At the city of Aksu it meets its main tributary, the Toshkan, which flows in from the west. After the confluence the river continues south and enters the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, where it joins the Tarim River.