According to archaeological investigation, there was a Wang Yang Sea near Tianjin more than 5,000 years ago. After the subsequent crustal changes, the coastal continental shelf gradually rose to land, when the tributaries of Haihe River and Yellow River diverted into the sea. These rivers originate in mountainous areas, and a large amount of sediment washed down from the mountainous areas flows to the front of the mountains. Due to the decrease of the longitudinal slope of the river, the slow flow rate and sediment deposition, several alluvial fans gradually formed in front of the mountain. Among them, the Yellow River has the largest siltation. Long-term deposition has made the alluvial fans of various rivers increase continuously, and then they are connected to form the Hebei Plain. The river flows into the sea near Tianjin, the lowest terrain, and the embryonic form of fan-shaped Haihe River system is gradually formed.
The formation of Haihe River system is also a process of migration and diversion in the lower reaches of the river. Historically, there have been many north-south immigrants in the lower Yellow River. According to historical records, during the more than 2,000 years from the Spring and Autumn Period to the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Yellow River broke its course 1500 times, including 26 important diversions. The range of river changes, from Haihe River in the north to Huaihe River in the south, has a great influence on the formation and changes of Haihe River system.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, in the fifth year of King Ding of Zhou Dynasty (602 BC), the Yellow River diverted from Xun County, passed through daming county and Jiaohe County of Hebei Province, and reached the southeast of Tianjin. Roughly along the modern Weihe River, Qingliang River and South Canal. At that time, Huzhihe (later Hutuo River), Hutuo River (later Shahe River), Suishui River (later Tanghe River), Hezhihe River (later Yongding River) and Shui Gu River (later North Canal) all flowed into the sea through the depression near Tianjin, and the Haihe River system had not yet formed.
In the third year after the founding of the People's Republic of China (A.D. 1 1), the Yellow River changed its course again and moved south to Lijin, Shandong Province to enter the sea. Haihe river system once got rid of the influence of the Yellow River. In the 11th year of Jian 'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 206), in the war to unify the north, Cao Cao dredged several transport channels, such as Baigou, Pinglu Canal, Quanzhou Canal and Xinhe River, to connect several large rivers on the Hebei Plain, so that the rivers flowing into the sea merged into the sea near Tianjin. Initially formed the Haihe River system.