The Ertix River originates from the conflux of two rivers of the southern slope of Altai Mountain in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region . It runs out of the mountain at Fuyun County of Xinjiang and then turns westward to converge with five other rivers along its way before it empties into a lake in Kazakstan, and then runs northward to join Ob River, and finally goes to the Arctic Ocean. It is the only river in China that runs into the Arctic Ocean.    

The river is of 546 kilometers long and covers an area of 57,000 square kilometers. It is the second largest river in Xinjiang in terms of water capacity. It abounds in aquatic products, and ships can run on the water near the boundary where the water is nearly 1,000 meters wide. The riverbanks are full of beautiful views with a reputation of Small Lijiang River. Since it is opposite to the Golden Mountain, it is also called Silver Water.    

The river valley is very wide but the riverbed is of much gravel, which makes the water surge forward. The forest in the river valley is like a green belt, floating on the Gobi desert. The forest at the Beitun section is the thickest, and is reputed as the Gene Storehouse of Poplar Trees. The downstream riverbed is wide, with many beaches on the bank. Many swamps can be found in the river valley. Swamps, float grasses and trees make it a watery region in the desert. It is of great value to scientific research, drifting and tourism.