This region embraces the Yangtze Valley and the topographically diverse regions to the south. The Yangtze Valley consists of a series of basins with fertile alluvial soils. These lowlands are crisscrossed with waterways, both natural and artificial, and dotted with lakes. The Sichuan Basin, located to the west, is enclosed by rugged spurs of several mountain ranges and consititutes a relatively isolated area of hilly terrain. The area is known for its intensive terraced farming. The highlands of South China extend from the Tibetan Plateau (Qing Zang Gaoyuan) east to the sea. In the west the deeply eroded Yunnan (Yungui) Plateau is bordered by a series of mountain ranges separated by deep, steep-walled gorges.

One of the world's most scenic landscapes is found in eastern Guizhou, where the terrain is dominated by tall limestone pinnacles and pillarlike peaks. To the east are the largely deforested and severely eroded Nan Ling hills, and along the coast are the rugged Southeastern Highlands, where bays with numerous offshore islands provide good natural harbors. Lying south of the Nan Ling hills is the Xi Jiang Basin, predominantly a hilly area with infertile soils; the numerous streams of this region, however, are bordered by fertile, flat-floored alluvial valleys. The broad delta plain of the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) is sometimes called the Canton delta.