Arun (Bum-chu) | |
River | |
Countries | Nepal, China |
---|---|
State | Tibet |
Tributaries | |
- left | Yeru Tsanpo, Trakar-chu |
- right | Barun River |
Source | Gutso |
Mouth | Confluence with Sun Kosi and Tamur River to form Sapta Kosi |
- location | Tribenighat, Nepal |
- coordinates | 26°54′47″N 87°09′25″E / 26.91306°N 87.15694°ECoordinates: 26°54′47″N 87°09′25″E / 26.91306°N 87.15694°E |
The Arun River (Nepali: अरुण नदी) is a trans-boundary river and is part of the Kosi or Sapt Koshi river system in Nepal. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China where it is called the Phung Chu or Bum-chu.
In Tibet, the river is called Bum-chu, also transliterated Phung-Chu or from Chinese as Peng Qu or Pumqu. Men Qu or Moinqu is an upper tributary draining glaciers from Shishapangma. In Nepal the river's name changes to Arun.
The Tibetan name Bum-chu may refer to a religious ceremony attempting to divine prospects for the coming year from the level of water in a pot or well,chu is the Tibetan word for water. The river originates near Gutso in Nyalam County of Tibet. Around 17 kilometres (11 mi) downstream the Men-chu joins it. The Tingri county occupies the upper reaches of the Bum-chu and the lateral valleys formed by its tributaries, the foremost of which are Lolo-chu, Shel-chu, Rongpu-chu, Trakar-chu, Kharda-chu, Ra-chu Tsangpo, and Langkor Gya-chu. The Yeru Tsanpo confluences with Bum-chu in Tingkye County, which accommodates the lower Bum-chu valley. Another river that meets Bum-chu is Trakar-chu. The river flows past the town of Kharda, gateway to the Khangzhung east face of Everest. The force of its accumulated waters carves its way, south of Drengtrang, through the main chain of the Himalayas directly between the mountain massifs of Makalu and Kangchenjunga into Nepal. Since the river's elevation is about 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) at the border while Makalu and Kangchenjunga are both about 8,500 metres (27,900 ft), the valley is some 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) deep, one of the world's deepest.