CHINA

CHONGQING. SIGHTS OF INTEREST. Three Gorges of Yangtze River
 

Yangtze River is the longest river in China and the third longest river in the world (after the Amazon in South America and the Nile in Africa). The most impressive part of the river is the Three Gorges area 193-kilometers long going from Baidicheng of Fengjie County in the west to Nanjinguan of Yichang City in the east. It consists of Qutang, Wuxia (Wu Xia or Wu) and Xiling Gorges. Chongqing is the best starting point for the trip to see these Three Gorges. 

These three gorges differ from each other in their scenery. Qutang Gorge is straight and craggy. Wu Gorge is deep, serene and exquisite. Xiling Gorge is perilous for its shoals and rapid currents. 

The first of three gorges on your way along Yangtze River will be the Qutang Gorge, the shortest but the grandest of the Three Gorge. This very gorge is famous for its sheer and spectacular precipices. The Yangtze River carves its way through the gorge between the sheer precipices that frame both sides of the river. The widest part of the gorge is just 150 meters and the narrowest part is not more than some tens of meters. Two mountains, the Red Passage Mountain or Chijia Shan to the north and the White Salt Mountain or Baiyan Shan to the south, form a giant door, the Kui Men Entrance or Kui Gate, and the tumultuous river bursts an exciting rush of rolling and roaring water through this natural door. 

A rock in a form of a monk, a distinctive black rock with rhinoceros looking at the moon on the top, a huge stalactite resembling a phoenix with a raised head, a grand rock face with 900 characters carved by famous calligraphers of Song Dynasty, mysterious hanging coffins of the ancient Ba people and so on, - that is just a part of miracle scenic spots you can see! 

The next gorge will be the Wu Gorge or Wu Xia Gorge with its famous lofty and misty peaks, peeks that are often hidden in fog and clouds. 

The gorge is 40 km long. Wu Gorge begins from the mouth of the Daning River in the west and extends to the Guangukou town in Badong County in the east. 

The steep slops of the gorge are green with trees and bushes. In the past this gorge was as beautiful as dangerous. Boats could come across whirlpools or quicksand, roaring currents constantly changing their direction. 

12 high peaks of a different shape each are the most famous spots of the Wu Gorge. Just have a look please: Shennu Feng or the Goddess Peak that has a large rock at the top in the form of a girl looking down at the boats in the river. One of the legends says that this rock in a form of a beautiful maiden is actually the embodiment of the youngest daughter of the Mother of Heaven, Yao Ji. Yao Ji, at the age of 18, was sent to oversee the Jade Pool of the Western Heaven. 11 fairy handmaidens accompanied her. But she found the life there to be lonely and cold and she decided to ramble among the mountains and rivers of the mortal world. Wushan became her favorite place and she put a small palace there. She stayed there with her 11 maidens to protect boats from the dangerous rapids, peasants’ crops from damage, woodcutters from wild animals. Eventually these 12 maidens became the 12 sentinel peaks of Wu Gorge. Goddess Peak is often immersed in glowing clouds at dawn and dusk, that makes it of a heavenly appearance! 

The names of other 11 peaks will help you to realize their different appearances: Climbing Dragon Peak, Flying Phoenix Peak, Sage Spring Peak, Facing Clouds Peak, Clean Altar Peak, that is just a part of them.

If you go 10 km down the Yangtze River you’ll come to another miracle place of Wu Xia Gorge. It’s the Golden Helmet and Silver Armour Gorge. It’s called so because the shape and color of the cliff resemble the golden helmet worn by soldiers. Another precipice with off-white layered slate shining in the sun resembles an ancient silver armour worn by warriors. 

And we can’t help telling some words about one more famous scenic spot of the Wuxia Gorge, the Three Little Gorges. When you are on the way from the Qutang Gorge to Wuxia Gorge you have a chance to take a trip up the Daning River to go through the much narrower gorges and examine picturesque rock formations and scenic features of the Three Little Gorges. This area was closed for visits till 1985. That’s why it’s still so unspoiled. 

Crystal Shennong Stream, the Dragon Gate Spring with the fungus of longevity, the Nest of Silver Rapid with the silver caches of rich merchants trading in the past, Daning River with hillsides, Misty Gorge with its dramatic scenery of rocks, peaks and a scaly dragon with its head stretching into the cave; cliffs, mossy rocks, plank roads; Iron Coffin Gorge with the ancient 2000 years old coffins and stalactites in the form of a pair of horses; Emerald Green Gorge with verdant plants and precious animals … And believe us please that it’s not the whole list of beautiful spots and miracles the nature offers you to see here!

And at last the Xiling Gorge! It’s the longest part of the Three Gorges and the most dangerous till 1950. Xiling Gorge is 76 km long, begins from the Badong County and winds down to Yichang town. What is particular about this gorge? It’s full of sweeping and boisterous rapids teeming with submerged rocks, swift currents and reefs. It’s safe now really but just several tens years ago it was a perilous place where rapids differed from each other just in their power and level of danger. We wouldn’t like to tell you here legends and real stories or describe every beautiful spot of the Xiling Gorge you’ll know and see them by yourself being on cruise.

If you like to continue the trip having passed these very three gorges you can boat further to Wuhan, the largest city of Central China. Its plains, lakes and ports are worth seeing.