Gianh River

The Gianh River (Vietnamese: Sông Gianh) is a river in the Quảng Bình Province of Vietnam's North Central Coast (Bắc Trung Bộ). The river is 268 kilometres (167 mi) in length.

Map of Gianh River, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam

It was the border between ruling families during the partition of Vietnam following the Trịnh–Nguyễn War of the 17th century, serving to effectively divide the country between northern and southern regions. The 17th parallel used as the border between North Vietnam and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975 was located just to the south, at the Bến Hải River in Quảng Trị Province. On 25 January 2009 an accident took place on this river, causing 40 dead, 5 missing. Boat accident on Gianh River