Xiang [key], river, 715 mi (1,151 km) long, rising in NE Guangxi prov. and flowing N through Hunan prov. to Dongting Lake, SE China. The river is navigable to large vessels for most of its course; Changsha is the largest city and major port. The upper Xiang is connected by canal with the Gui River, thus joining the Chang and Xi river systems. The densely populated Xiang valley is one of China's major industrial regions and yields manganese, lead, and zinc. The delta is an important rice-growing area. The name sometimes appears as Hsiang.
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