In this paper,three contentious questions on the changes in drainage network at the upper reaches of the Hutuo River were discussed emphatically: (a) the change of the course of the Yangwu River, (b) the bandoned river course in the Qicun Valley; (c) whether the Hutuo River flowed southward into the Taiyuan Basin. Following results were obtained form the investigation.(1) The Yangwu River, a tributary of the Hutuo River, was not a pirate, capturing an ancient southwestward flowing river. Its main stream and tributaries were developed along two sets of faults trending NW SE and NE SW respectively.(2)During the geological period, probably throughout the Pleistocene, the Qicun Valley and the Jiehepu Valley were two co-existing branch courses of the Hutuo River.Of course. it is possible that one of the two branches was the main course of the Hutuo River,while another one was abandoned in the short time. Finally, the main course was abandoned because it was totally filled up by deposits from the mountains on the west side.(3) The Hutuo River Gorge across the Taihang Mountain was antecedent to the uplift of that mountain which occured mainly at the end of pliocene. The Shilingguan wind gap which is situated just to the south of the Xinzhou Dingxing Basin was a relic valley formed by an ancient southwestward flowing river which existed before the basin along the upper reaches of the Hutuo River was formed. The Yuzi gap, which consists of loose sediments, may be another relic valley formed by the ancient river, but not by the Hutuo River.