The Huang He Valley was the birthplace of Chinese civilization beginning around 4000 BC. The Huang He River is over 5400 km long, making it the second longest river in China, and its drainage basin of around 750,000 square km is the third largest in China. The Huang He Valley surrounded the principal northern river of China and was the center of thousands of years of Chinese history, with Chinese civilization first emerging along the Huang He during the Shang Dynasty.