Argun River (Asia)

For other uses, see Argun (disambiguation).

Ergune ( Ergune bira)
Argun
River
Location of the Argun River within the Amur Basin
Name origin: Mongolian: ergene, "contrarotation"
Countries	China, Russia
Russian Krai	Zabaykalsky Krai
Chinese Region	Inner Mongolia
Source	Kherlen River
- location	about 195 kilometres (121 mi) from Ulaanbaatar
- elevation	1,961 m (6,434 ft)
- coordinates	48°N 109°E / 48; 109
Mouth	Amur river
Length	1,620 km (1,007 mi)
Basin	164,000 km2 (63,321 sq mi)
Discharge
- average	340 m3/s (12,007 cu ft/s)

Argun River (Asia)
Chinese name
Chinese	额尔古纳河
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin É'ěrgǔnà hé
Mongolian name
Mongolian	  Ergüne gol Эргүнэ мөрөн Ergüne mörön
Manchu name
Manchu	Ergune bira
Russian name
Russian	Аргу́нь

Ergune or Argun (Mongolian: Эргүнэ мөрөн, Ergüne mörön; Manchu: Ergune bira; Chinese: 额尔古纳河; Russian: Аргунь) is the river which is a part of the Russia–China border. Its upper reaches are known as Hailar River (海拉尔河, Haila'er He) in China. Its length is 1,007 mi (1,620 km). The Ergune marks the border between Russia and China for about 944 km, until it meets the Amur River. It was established by the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689.

The river flows from the Western slope of the Greater Khingan Range in Inner Mongolia. Its confluence with Shilka River at Ust-Strelka forms the Amur River.

Kherlen-Ergune-Amur

In years with high precipitation, the normally exitless Hulun Lake may overflow at its northern shore, and the water will meet the Ergune after about 30 km. The system Kherlen-Ergune-Amur has a total length of 5,052 km.

Ergune in The Secret History of the Mongols

In The Secret History of the Mongols speaks legend related to the Ergune-Khun Mongol ancestry. In this legend, the Mongols prevailed over other tribes and carried such slaughter among them, that in living remained no more than two men and two women. These two families, in fear of the enemy, fled to the inhospitable terrain, which included only mountains and forests and to which there was no road. Among those mountains was the abundant grass and healthy climate of the steppe. Then, legend tells that in Ergune-Khun, Mongols multiplied and become masters of iron smelting and blacksmithing. According to legend, it is the art of melting iron that has helped them escape from the mountain gorges on scope of the current Mongolian steppes, to the Kherlen River and Onon River.