The Yangtze Gorges is a great valley with a most splendid landscape
in the Yangtze (Changjiang) River and it is one of the ten most famous
scenic sites of China. It extends from Baidicheng (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.
Each of the gorges has specific features of its own. Qutang Gorge is
celebrated for its majestic steep crags on both banks of the river;
Wuxia Gorge is famed for its elegant beauty of forest-covered peaks;
and Xiling Gorge is best known for its numerous shoals and turbulent
torrents.Thus it is a golden tourist waterway.
The Three Gorges, the most spectacular section of the Yangtze River,
are filled with breathtaking scenery. They are famous for the steep
cliffs on both sides. Going through the gorges on boat is like
travelling a landscape paintting gallery.The steep mountains, the
dangerous rugged shoals and the turbulent waters are characteristic of
the gorges. The perpendicular cliff and grotesque peaks with clouds
wrapping them in a blanket of mist create one of natures' most majestic
sights.
The area of the gorges was also the cradle of culture of the ancient
Chu State. It has a long history with a galaxy of talents. Here were
born two famous characters in Chinese history: Qu Yuan, a great
patriotic poet and Wang Zhaojun, who did her bit for the promotion of
the national unity. A host of great historic poets, such as Li Bai, Du
Fu, Bai Juyi greatly admired the beautiful and charming landscape and
wrote down quite a number of emotional poems.
Wuxia Gorge
Wu Gorge is forty-five kilometers
long, extending from the mouth of the Daning River in Wushan County,
Chongqing City in the west to Guandukou in Badong County, Hubei
Province in the east. Also known as the Great Gorge, famous for its
deep valley and quiet beauty. Wu Gorge is a long and neat gorge divided
into two sections - the Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge and the
Iron Coffin Gorge.
Flanked by craggy peaks and grotesque rock, it forms a meandering
scenic gallery. Sometimes there seems no way ahead, suddenly an
unimpeded path is in from while the water ends along mountain ridges.
The beautiful sceneries on both banks are too changeable to take them
all in.
On a cruise down the Wuxia Gorge, the twelve peaks line the
banks.These triangle-looking peaks described by legend as twelve fairy
spirits, such as a fairy maid dancing, a dragon soaring into the sky, a
peacock displaying its feathers or a piece of colorful brocade. All the
peaks are given names by their different shapes. Varying from seasons
and weathers, their pretty sceneries are the everlasting appeal to
tourists.The best –known is the poetic Goddess Peak, the graceful shape
of which resembles a girl looking down at the boats in the river. Many
mythological tales and countless number of poems have been written
about this particular peak.
"When the Qutang rolls on to an end, The Wu Gorge rises with its
lofty peaks." When the Yangtze flows out of Qutang Gorge and past the
broad valley of the Daning River, it enters the scenic Wu Gorge.
Noted for its deep and serene scenes, the Wu Gorge is full of
zigzags, weird peaks, rising mists and beautiful sights. As the river
cut through the Wushan Mountains, its roaring currents change their
directions constantly. Travelling through the gorge in a boat, one
sometimes may find the way blocked by mountains. But a sharp turn of
the boat brings one to 0an area of entirely different scenery. It is
the most beautiful part of the Yangtze, green trees and bushes,
together with fogs and clouds, cover the high peaks.
Wushan at the entrance to Wu Gorge and Badong and Zigui in the broad
valley of the Fragrant Stream (Xiangxi) are famous towns in the gorge.
There are many famous historical sites too. The town of Zigui is
attracting a large number of tourists because it is the native place of
the great ancient poet and patriotic politician Qu Yuan and the famous
beauty Wang Zhaojun from East Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago.
The Daning River at the western entrance to Wu Gorge is flanked by
continuous strange peaks, some of them rising into the clouds and
presenting an unusual scene. The section of the river becomes known as
the Lesser Three Gorges. Their unordinary beauty is so charming and it
has been praised by more and more visitors.
Xiling Gorge
Xiling Gorge begins at the Xiangxi stream in the west and ends at
Nanjinguan Pass in the east extending about 66 km long,and is the
longest of the Three Gorges and is entirely within Hubei Province. This
gorge is full of shoals and rapid currents. Xiling Gorge consists of 4
small gorges and several dangerous shoals: the Gorge of the Sword and
Book on the Art of War; the Gorge of the Cow's Liver and Horse's Lung;
the Kongling Gorge and the Gorge of the Shadow Play; the Blue Shoal;
the Discharge Shoal; the Kongling Shoal and the Yaocha River. 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.
Qingtan Shoal, stretched between "Tactics Books and Sword Gorge" and
"Bull's Liver and Horse's Lung Gorge", including First Shoal, Second
Shoal and Third Shoal, runs 1.5 km from west to east, teeming with
reefs and convulsed with sweeping, boisterous rapids. Sailors called it
"Iron Threshold" to the river. Boats and skiffs used to shoot
downstream like flying arrows and flounder upstream as if scaling a
ladder, zigzagging their way either up or down.
Kongling Shoal lies in the Miaohe section. The local people have
always said: "Qintan and Xietan are not real shoals compared with hell
gate of Kongling Shoal." Twenty four reefs, named Great Pearl, First
Pearl, Second Pearl, Third Pearl, etc., are crammed in the shoal,
bulging into each other's way. The Great Shoal, for example, sprawls in
the middle of the river, dividing it into two channels: the south
channel full of jagged reefs and fickle eddies; the north narrow,
twisted and forbidding with submerged rocks. Besides, there was a
hideous reef called "Coming-at-Me", which used to fill people with
fear. This is a shoal where passing boats had to thread their way
through the reefs, dodging from side to side all the times.
Sailing down about five kilometers past Qingtan Shoal is Bull's
Liver and Horse Lung Gorge. Many other scenic spots composed in Xiling
Gorge, are "Tactics Books and Sword Gorge", and "Shadow Play Gorge",
"Huangling Temple", "Three Travelers' Cave", "Horse Bell Rock", Mt.
Qingshi (Black Lion) in Shipai Town, Three Swords Peak at Nantuo, etc.
There are also many waterfalls. During the rainy season, the Jiuwanxi
Waterfall roars with its gushing water.
At the foot of the Heavenly Pillar Peak, there is a stalactite
Huangsang Cave, over with spans a natural stone bridge known as the
Fairy Bridge, covered with creeping plant growth. On one end of this
bridge stands a statue of a fairy. It is truly wonderful to look down
at the boats shuttling to and from this point.
Qutang Gorge
Starting at the White Emperor City
in the west and ending at Daxi Stream in the east, the Qutang Gorge, or
Kui Gorge, known for its magnificence, is only 8 kilometers long.
The shortest in the world-famous Three Yangtze Gorges, it is the
most spectacular. In this section, the Yangtze carves its way through
the gorge between the sheer precipices of overhanging mountains at both
sides. The mountain peaks are nestled in the clouds, making one of the
Qutang Gorge's magnificent views. The narrowest pint of the river bed
is only several dozen meters while the widest pint is more than 1,800
meters. Kui Gate at the entrance to the gorge, two perpendicular cliffs
rear over the river surface on either side, looking like a pair of
giant door leaves or a narrow corridor.
Having entered Kui Gate Pass, one would be faced by Mount Chijia
(Bare-backed Soldier) on the north bank and Mount Baiyan (White Salt)
on the southern bank. The former calls to mind a soldier without top
armor, hence the name Chijia. The latter is so named because of its
silvery color no matter whether the weather is fine or overcast.
The broadest span is only 150 meters, while the narrowest is less
than 100 meters while the principal peaks on the banks are as high as
1,000-1,500 meters. At the entrance stand two perpendicular cliffs
facing each other. They look like two giant gates, hence the name Kui
Gate or Qutang Pass. The river water is forced in between turbulent
waves roaring on like wild horses stampeding. It is known as the most
fearsome waterway. The turbulent waters flowing in the deep gorge along
a continuous line of peaks make a most magnificent picture. The rolling
and roaring river bursts through the rock gate that towers over the
water.
On the north bank of the gorge is Chijia Mountain that looks
cromson. Opposite it stands the Baiyan (white salt) Mountain that bears
the colour of grayish white. The two mountains present a sharp
color-contrast, marvelous to look upon. Besides Baidicheng, there are
many scenic spots and places of historical interest in the gorge, such
as the peculiar rock of the "Monk Hanging by His Feet", the legendary
Meng Liang Staircase, Fengxiang Gorge, an ancient plank road built
along the face of a cliff and Phoenix Fountain, etc.
In addition to their scenic beauty, the Three Gorges are rich in
water resources. They are the most ideal section of the Yangtze for
building large water conservancy projects for the comprehensive
exploitation of the river. The deep gorges and steep mountains on the
banks of the river present superabundant potentials for power
generation. The Yangtze gorges key water conservancy project that is
being planned will effectively control the torrential flow on the upper
reaches and free the middle and lower reaches from the threat of flood.
Huge power generators will send electricity to many parts of the
country. The dangerous navigation channel will then be submerged in a
placid lake. The Three Gorges will present an entirely different
picture. The Gezhouba Dam water conservancy project, an important part
of the Yangtze gorges project, has completed its first stage of
construction. The dam that now stands at Nanjin Pass, a short distance
upstream from Yichang, is already generating power and facilitating
navigation. It has also added beauty to the scenery of the Three Gorges.
The beauty of the Three Gorges lies in their majesty, perilousness,
singularity and seclusion. This applies to every peak, shoal, cave and
canyon in the Three Gorges. The mountains, eater, springs, woods and
caves each compliment the others to achieve perfect harmony. Few
visitors to the Three Gorges fail to be impressed by the impact of the
beauty of nature and overwhelmed by it. After visiting the Three
Gorges, an eighty-year-old woman painter from the United States said,
"I've been to over a hundred countries. The beautiful Yangtze and
wonderful Three Gorges in China are the acme of my travels."
(From: http://www.linkinch.com/travel.php?arcID=30)
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