Han Kang 韓江, the Han River, is the principal river of the Teochew region.
The river was originally called Ngag Koi 鱷溪, the Crocodile River. It was later renamed after the Tang dynasty imperial official, Han Yu (韓愈), who according to legends performed a ritual that expelled the reptilian beasts and paved the way for the development of agriculture on the river’s banks and the early prosperity of Teochew.
From its source in Fujian’s Ting River, Han Kang flows through the districts of Tuapou 大埔 (Dapu), Teo-an 潮安 (Chao'an) and Thenghai 澄海 (Chenghai), before meeting the South China Sea. Its waters nourished not only the historical Teochew 潮州 (Chaozhou) Prefectural City, but also its ports that served as the Teochew people’s gateways to Southeast Asia from the 18th to 20th centuries, Ampou 庵埠 (Anbu), Changlim 樟林 (Zhanglin) and Swatow 汕頭.
