The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

Labeled as one of the ten most famous scenic sites in China, the three famous gorges of the Yangtze offers travelers 120 miles (192km) of spectacular scenic landscapes, death defying rapids, surreal shaped peaks and mountaintop, and countless historical sites.

Yangtze Basics
The Yangtze is the third longest river in the world. The 3900 mile (6275 km) Yangtze river flows from the mountains of western China, eastward across the plains, and ends at the East China Sea. The source of the Yangtze is located on the Tibetan Plateau (the roof of the world). For centuries the Yangtze was the main transportation route from China's coast to its central region.

The Three Gorges
Just beyond the city of Chongqing the Yangtze river passes through the famous Three Gorges. The three famous gorges, celebrated in Chinese art and poetry, are the Qutang Gorge, the Wu Gorge, and the Xiling Gorge and extend from the White King Town in Fengjie County in the Sichuan Province to the Nanjinguan Pass in Yichang (Hubei Province). The gorges are formed mostly from limestone and have very step sides with pinnacles of rock jutting out.

Qutang Gorge
The Qutang Gorge is the first and narrowest of the Three Gorges. It extends eastward from White King Town to Daxi. At times labeled as the most dangerous pass in the world, the gorge is no more than 5 miles (8km) long yet its rough waters and narrow passage (as narrow as 150 feet, 50 meters) can make for a beautiful yet dangerous passage. At the entrance of the Qutang Gorge, steep cliffs on either side look like two towering closing doors. This section of the Yangtze River is flanked with steep and jagged knife-cut cliffs and towering peaks. Once in the gorge, Mt. Chijia on the north (Red Armor Cliffs) and Mt. Baiyan (White Salt Cliffs) on the south penetrate into the sky facing each other so closely that they sometime appear if each mountain crosses the Yangtze touching each other. Looking from a distance in a clear day, Mt. Chijia sometimes resembles a huge pink peach and Mt. Biyan, a mountain of white salt glittering in the sunlight. The most spectacular view of the gorge is when both mountains disappear in the mist and low cloud cover.

The Qutang Gorge boasts not only splendid scenic landscapes but also places of great historical interest. Displayed along the rock faces are master artworks of calligraphy and stone engravings from different dynasties.

Wu Gorge
Leaving the magnificence of the Qutang Gorge behind, the splendor of Wu Gorge comes in sight. The Wu Gorge (gorge of witches) appears as the most enchanting of the three gorges. The Wu Gorge has beautiful peaks and steep cliffs on either side, some reaching as high as 6400 feet (2000 meters). The high canyon walls sometimes block out the sun’s rays and when misty, create an almost surreal view of the gorge. The Wu Gorge is named after Mt. Wushan. It extends eastward from the mouth of the Daning River in the east of Wushan City (Sichuan Province) to the city of Guandukou in Badong County (Hubei Province). Having a length of 28 miles (45km), the wide Wu Gorge is flanked with towering peaks, steep cliffs, and countless twists and turns in the river. The twelve peaks of Mt. Wushan crate a spectacular scene. The peaks are varied in shape with some appear as forms such as dragons flying to the sky or phoenixes spreading their wings. Some mountains are shrouded in clouds and others covered with ancient pine trees. Located in the region of Wu Gorge are such famous walled cities as Wushan, Badong, and Zigui.

Xiling Gorge
Described by an ancient poet as “torrents from above falling upon ten thousand snow drifts", the Xiling Gorge is the longest and the last of the three gorges. The Xiling Gorge stretches 48 miles (76km) from the mouth of the Xiangxi River in Zigui County in the west to Nanjin Pass of Yichang City in the east. Once dangerous for hidden shoals and rock landslides, the Xiling Gorge was once refereed to as a “ship graveyard.” In Xiling Gorge lie a few small gorges from west to east including the Tactics Books and Sword Gorge, the Bull's Liver and Horse's Lung Gorge, the Shadow Play Gorge, and the Ox Gorge. Along the Shadow Play Gorge are hidden waterfalls and caves.