Yangtze Three Gorges

The Yangtze Three Gorges is a great valley with a most splendid landscape in the Yangtze River and it is one of the ten most famous scenic sites of China. It extends from White Emperor City in Fengjie County, Chongqing Municipality to Nanjin Pass in Yichang, Hubei Province, consisting of Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge, with a full length of 193 km.

It converges the essence of the scenery on the Yangtze River. Within this distance, they are arranged in such a manner with other gorges and valleys that one is narrow and the following one is wide by turn. Because of this topography, the momentum of the river water is pent-up in the narrow valleys and released abruptly in gorges. In those bottle-necks, water rushes down swiftly and wildly, reminding one of any angry beast. Traveling in a cruise ship in this part of the Yangtze River, one can not only enjoy grotesquely shaped rock formations and magnificent mountains along the river and the rolling water but also poems inscribed by ancient scholars. With a variety of landscape of China, it has been displaying its special charms for thousands of years.

The Yangtze Three Gorges presents a scene of boundless variety with the magnificence of Qutang Gorge, the elegance of Wu Gorge, the perilousness of Xiling Gorge as well as the primitive simplicity and the mysteriousness of the Daning River, and Shennong Stream, which flow into the great valley. The whole landscape is so kaleidoscopic. It is picturesque everywhere, and what more, each scene is related to a wonderful fairy tale or a moving legend which will kindle your meditation on the remote past.

The beautiful landscape of the gorge region has given birth to a splendid culture. It is one of the birthplaces of the civilizations of China. The famous Daxi Culture, which originated here, has shed brilliant light on the civilizations in the long history. The valleys were once the battlefields during the period of the Three Kingdoms, where countless heroes displayed their proness and talent. Besides, a great many well-known historical sites such as White Emperor City, Huangling Temple and Nanjin Pass, add charm to the landscape.

The gorge region is also rich in natural resources. You are welcome to the Yangtze Gorges to enjoy the charming landscape and splendid culture as well as the colorful folkways.

Tourist Map of Yangtze Three Gorges

Gorge-by-Gorge Introduction

Qutang Gorge

Qutang Gorge The shortest of the Three Gorges (8 kilometers). It is considered the most dramatic by many visitors. The river navigates through the gorge's sheer, steep cliffs where the Meng Liang staircase from the Song Dynasty can be seen. It starts at the White Emperor City in the west and ending at Daxi Stream in the east with a distance of 8 kilometers...
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Wu Gorge

Wu Gorge extends from the mouth of the DaningRiver in WushanCounty, ChongqingCity in the west to Guandukou in Badong County, Hubei Province in the east. Wu Gorge 44 kilometers long. The gorge is known for its deep valleys and forest covered mountains. Wu Gorge is a long and neat gorge divided into two sections - the Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge and the Iron Coffin Gorge....
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Xiling Gorge

Xiling Gorge extends from Badong County in the west to the Nanjin Pass in Yichang in the east, about 66 km long. It is the longest of the Three Gorges and is entirely within Hubei Province. This gorge is full of shoals and rapid currents. The most dangerous shoals are Xietan, Qingtan and Kong Ling, collectively known as the Three Shoals of Xiling. Among all the dangerous shoals, Qingtan Shoal and Kongling Shoal are the most famous...
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