Floods in China are a natural disaster that have occurred frequently throughout Chinese history. Flooding along the Yellow River has historically been the most severe, along with flooding of the Yangtze–Huai River basin. Flooding of the Pearl River has also occurred frequently in history. There are numerous Chinese flood myths.
China's steep geography and subtropical and tropical climates mean that large-scale thunderstorms and tropical storms happen frequently. Since many settlements are located along waterways, high volumes of water can easily overflow river banks and cause extensive damage. Compared to other countries, a 2016 study found that China has the most expensive impact of flooding annually. A 2021 estimate by Zero Carbon Analytics suggested that floods cost China USD 214 billion between 1996-2015.
With climate change, these costs are likely to continue to grow; for example, flooding caused $2.8 billion USD worth of damage in August 2025 and displaced as many as 10 million people. Zero Carbon Analytics projected USD 479 billion by 2035 under climate change scenarios.
Background The Yellow River carries more sediment than any other river in the world, washing away 1.6 billion tonnes of loess from the Loess Plateau every year. It has long been said that the river "breaches its banks every three years, and changes course every hundred years."
According to incomplete statistics compiled in the journal People's Yellow River (Renmin Huanghe), the Yellow River breached its banks 1,593 times during the roughly three to four hundred years before 1946. In 602 BCE, the river's first recorded course change took it northeast of present-day Hua County, shifting the channel about 80 km eastward to empty into the Bohai Sea near present-day Huanghua; this course became known as the Han-dynasty channel. Between 602 BCE and 1851 CE, the Yellow River changed course twenty-five times.
From 1194 to 1855, the river used the channel of the Huai River as its outlet to the sea, an episode referred to as "the Yellow River seizing the Huai." On 15 September 1855, the river breached its banks at Weishan in a historic twenty-sixth course change, after which the former channel through northern Jiangsu ran dry.
Pre-Qin period According to the myth of the Great Flood of Gun-Yu, during the reign of the ruler Emperor Yao, flooding was widespread and the population suffered greatly. Yao appointed Gun, Earl of Chong to control the flooding of the Yellow River, but Gun's method of building embankments along the riverbanks only caused the water to rise higher. After nine years, the flooding had not been resolved and had in fact worsened.
After Emperor Shun succeeded to the throne, the flooding remained unresolved, and since Gun had died, Shun turned instead to Gun's son Yu the Great. Yu adopted a method completely different from his father's and achieved notable success.
By the time of the Shang dynasty, all five relocations of the Shang capital are said to have been caused by flooding.
Han dynasty During the Han dynasty, in the third year of the Yuanshou era (120 BCE), heavy rain fell east of the passes and the population suffered from famine. Emperor Wu of Han "relocated the poor to the region west of the passes, and more than 700,000 people were sent to fill Shuofang and the region to its south" (Records of the Grand Historian, "Treatise on the Balanced Standard").
In 11 CE, the Yellow River breached its banks for the second time northwest of present-day Puyang. The river channel shifted 40 kilometers eastward, entering the Bohai Sea near present-day Lijin County, a course historically known as the "Eastern Han River".
In the first year of the Yanguang era (122 CE), the Yellow River flooded.
Jin dynasty In the fourth year of the Yongjia era of the Western Jin (310 CE), a great flood struck the region east of the Yangtze in the fourth month. The court astrologer Li Chunfeng attributed it to the fact that "at the time Wang Dao and others secretly harbored plans to support the heir, and yin energy was in excess."Book of Jin, vol. 27, "Treatise on the Five Phases, Part 1," p. 815.
In the fifth year of the Xianhe era under Emperor Cheng of the Eastern Jin (330 CE), a great flood occurred in the fifth month, attributed to the fact that "the ruling emperor was young, his mother governed as regent, and Yu Liang, as senior maternal uncle, decided matters within the palace. Yin overcame yang."Book of Jin, vol. 27, "Treatise on the Five Phases, Part 1," p. 815.
Northern and Southern dynasties In the fourteenth year of the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of Liang (515 CE), in the third month, Liang forces dammed the Huai River in order to flood Shouyang by backing up its waters. In the fourth month the dam was completed but then breached again; the army "felled trees to build cribwork, filled it with huge stones, and piled earth on top," which stripped the hills, trees and stones within a hundred li along the Huai, wearing through the shoulders of the laborers who carried the loads. In the summer heat, epidemic disease broke out and the dead lay heaped upon one another, with the sound of flies and insects continuing day and night. A major epidemic followed. "That winter it was bitterly cold, and the Huai and Si rivers froze solid; seventy or eighty percent of the soldiers guarding the Fushan Dam died." The following year, "in the fourth month of summer, the Huai dam was completed, nine li long, one hundred forty zhang wide at the base and forty-five zhang wide at the top, twenty zhang high, planted with willows, with army encampments arrayed along its top." By "the ninth month, on the day dingchou, the Huai River suddenly rose and the dam collapsed with a roar heard for three hundred li; more than one hundred thousand people from the garrisons and villages along the Huai were swept out to sea."Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 148, "Annals of Liang, Emperor Wu, Part 4."
Sui dynasty In the eighteenth year of the Kaihuang era (598 CE), a great flood struck the prefectures of Henan; this was attributed to the fact that "at the time Empress Dugu interfered in state affairs, killed palace attendants indiscriminately, and had the chancellor dismissed, while Yang Su held excessive power—flooding is a yin phenomenon, a response to the excessive strength of consorts and subjects."Book of Sui, vol. 22, "Treatise on the Five Phases, Part 1," p. 622.
In the second year of the Renshou era, ninth month (602 CE): "On the day renchen, the prefectures north and south of the Yellow River suffered great flooding, and the Minister of Works, , was sent to provide relief."Book of Sui, vol. 2, "Annals of Emperor Gao, Part 2," p. 47.
In the autumn of the seventh year of the Daye era of Emperor Yang of Sui (611 CE): "A great flood submerged more than thirty commanderies in Shandong and Henan, and the people sold themselves and their children into slavery."Book of Sui, vol. 4, "Annals of Emperor Yang, Part 2," p. 83.
Tang dynasty In the seventh year of the Yuanhe era, fifth month, on the day gengshen (812 CE), Emperor Xianzong said to his chancellors: "You have repeatedly reported that Huainan and the two Zhe circuits suffered flood and drought last year, yet a censor has recently returned from there and says it did not amount to a disaster—what is the truth of the matter?" Li Jiang replied: "According to the memorials from Huainan, Zhexi and Zhedong, all report flood and drought, with many people fleeing their homes and requesting relief and resettlement; their tone suggests they fear being blamed by the court, so how could they falsely claim disaster where none occurred? This must be censors seeking to flatter the throne for their own gain—I ask that their names be obtained and the law applied to them."Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 238.
In the autumn of the twelfth year of the Dali era (777 CE), heavy rains caused a disaster and crop losses were severe. When censors made their rounds and reported back, the affected counties together reported losses of 31,195 qing of farmland. The emperor then ordered the censor Zhu Ao to reinspect, and he reported that Weinan alone had lost more than 3,000 qing. The emperor said to Zhu Ao: "It is the duty of county magistrates to care for the people—even where there has been no loss, they ought to claim one; if there has been loss and it goes unreported, how can that reflect any concern for the suffering of the people?"Old Book of Tang, vol. 129, "Biography of Han Huang."
Song dynasty In the eighth year of the Qingli era of the Song (1048 CE), the river's third recorded course change occurred at present-day Changhu Ji, east of Puyang, shifting the channel about 80 km westward; the water then split into two branches, both emptying into the Bohai Sea near present-day Tianjin.
In the sixth year of the Dading era of Emperor Shizong of Jin (1166 CE), the river's fourth recorded course change occurred near present-day Yuanwu, with the river flowing to Xuzhou, joining the Si River and the Huai River, and emptying into the Yellow Sea.
According to the Gazetteer of Xiangfu County and the Kaifeng Yellow River Gazetteer, the Yellow River breached its banks within Kaifeng County in the twentieth year of the Dading era (1180 CE).
Ming dynasty During the Ming dynasty, the Yellow River flooded 143 times, including the 1410 Yellow River flood. Between the first and fourteenth years of the Chongzhen era, the Yellow River breached its banks in eleven separate years, an occurrence too frequent for the histories to record in full.
Qing dynasty In the tenth year of the Shunzhi era, heavy rain caused a disaster: "in the flooded areas of Zhili, the people fled in droves, old and young supporting one another, seeking food in Shandong. But because the laws against harboring refugees were strict, no one dared take them in, and the refugees wandered on, crying out."Veritable Records of Emperor Shizu of Qing, vol. 77. Wei Yijie wrote the poem "Lament for the Refugees": "Fields and homes drowned, no dry ground left, refugees stream southward one after another. Who expected the southern provinces would not dare take them in? By day they shut their doors and crouch inside. Before the eaves none dares linger long, for fear the local people will show no mercy. Above, the vast heavens look down; below, the little children gaze up—what is to be done? ... O boundless heaven, have pity on this multitude."Wei Yijie, Selected Poems from the Jianji Hall, vol. 17.
In the forty-seventh and forty-eighth years of the Kangxi era (1708 and 1709), Tongxiang suffered successive droughts and floods; "set up gruel kitchens and established medical dispensaries" to relieve the starving population.
In the fourth year of the Yongzheng era (1726), western Zhejiang suffered flooding, and Wang Wengui was the first to organize relief, "providing food for the starving."Anecdotes of the Qing Categorized, "Honesty and Frugality."
In the ninth year of the Jiaqing era (1804), western Zhejiang suffered flooding, and the provincial governor Ruan Yuan carried out measures such as selling grain at reduced prices, distributing relief, and lending seed to help the population through the disaster.Ruan Yuan, "Postscript to the Illustration of Porridge Relief at Xiachuan," in Collected Essays on Statecraft of the Qing, vol. 42.
In the third year of the Daoguang era (1823), Zhili suffered a great flood affecting 120 counties; Viceroy requested and received 1.8 million taels of silver from the treasury to repair the Yongding River.Chronological Biography from the Shengyi Studio; Draft Biographies of the Qing, vol. 34.