Its total basin area is about 742,443 square kilometers (286,659 sq mi). The Yellow River is called the cradle of Chinese civilization, because its basin was the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilization, and it was the most prosperous region in early Chinese history.ccording to the China Exploration and Research Society, the source of the Yellow River is at 34° 29' 31.1 N, 96° 20' 24.6 E in the Bayan Har Mountains near the eastern edge of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.