Yangtze River in Brief

The Yangtze River, the biggest river in China,the third longgest in the World, starts with the Tuotuo River at the Roof of the World -Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, takes in countless rivers, and flows eastward across the interior of China. With an overall length of more than 6,300 kilometers, it marches permanently toward the East China Sea, singing the songs of the four seasons with its waves. The Yangtze River, next only to the Amazon and the Nile, is the third biggest river in the world and is a cradle that breeds the ancient civilization of the Chinese nation. It cleaved a path and made its way through the mountains to have formed these uniquely beautiful, magnificent, and wonderful gorges-the Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge.

The Three Gorges have showed the magic workings of nature with their marvelous and beautiful mountains and waters. The grotesque peaks and rocks on the two sides of the Three Gorges are accounting the great changes taking place in the region in the past billion years, and the variegated wracks of lives sleeping deep between the rock layers are narrating the history of the evolvement of lives during the past hundreds of millions of years. How many visitors have been attracted here by the charming thousand-year-long history of the region, the great ancient relics of human civilization, and the mysterious folk tales! Sandwiched between the mountains on the mid part of the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges runs across Fengjie and Wushan Mountain in Sichuan Province and Badong, Zigui, and Yichang in Hubei Province, extending 193 kilometers long to include Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge. City of White Emperor in Fengjie is the vital passage of the west part of the Three Gorges. Nanjinguan in Yichang is the important gateway of the east part. Along the banks of the Yangtze River, the high peaks rise in emerald verdure, overhanging rocks tower into the clouds, dangerous cliffs seem to reach the sky, rocks are jagged and grotesque, waterfalls are spraying and sparkling, clouds and mists are curling, rapids and torrents are seething, and fierce waves are Gorge, deep, serene and exquisite; while Xiling Gorge perilous for its shoals and rapid currents.

However,Yichang is regarded by numerious people as the best startpoint to tour the the Three Gorges.

Qutang Gorge

From east to west, it measures 8 kilometers, starting from Baidicheng and ending at Daixi township. With vertical cliffs of some thousand meters high as its two flanks, the Qutang Gorge is only a few dozens of meters wide just like a narrow gateway. With swash and rumble, the surging Yangtze River pours into the gateway with great momentum. Looking up towards the tops of towering precipitous mountains along the Gorge, one sees from a boat only a narrow strip of clouds and sky, but under foot the River tears on violently.

Wu Gorge

It extends 40 kilometers from the mouth of Daning River of Wushan Mountain in the west to Guandukou of Badong in the east. The Wu Gorge is gifted with exquisite peaks and lush mountains and ranges. It's deep and serene with changeable weather. The rolling River twists and turns and boats zigzag their way along, as if cruising in a fantastic gallery. The twelve peaks of Wushan Mountain all rise to the blue sky. They are endowed with various fascinating shapes. Among them, the most fabulous is the Peak of Goddess. It pierces through the heaven, and towers over the Yangtze River. A protruding rock of the Peak has the shape of a slim girl shrouded in clouds and mist faintly visible as if clad in fine gauze dress, looking attractive and exuding tenderness and love.

Xiling Gorge

It measures 75 kilometers from Xiangxikou to Nanjinguan. The whole Gorge area is covered with high mountains, gullies, dangerous shoals and hidden reefs of various sizes. The best-known perilous shoal is Qing Shoal. It's formed by collapsed craggy cliffs. Surging waves and rapid currents churn over the shoal embedded with rocks and stones here and there, and then drop two meters in elevation. Ships go downstream over the shoal at an arrow speed, but up the shoal it's as difficult as climbing a steep hill.