Mekong, << MAY kong >>, River is the longest river on the Indochinese peninsula. The Mekong is about 2,700 miles (4,345 kilometers) long. It flows southeastward from China’s Qinghai province and forms part of the boundary between Thailand and Laos. The river crosses Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam before it empties into the South China Sea near Ho Chi Minh City. In the region of the lower delta, the Mekong is known as the Song Cuu Long (River of Nine Dragons). This name refers to the major Mekong distributaries (channels) that carry water from the river to the sea. Ships can sail only about 350 miles (563 kilometers) up the Mekong. Farther inland, the river is interrupted by rapids and sand bars.
