Yangtze River's Three Gorges Sailing down the Yangtze from Chongqing to Yichang allows visitors to see the spectacular scenery of the Three Gorges along with its splendid cultural heritage and fabled local folklore. The cruise, which combines sightseeing with scientific, artistic and folklore exploration, is a national-caliber tourist program. The 193-km-long Three Gorges, consisting of the majestic Qutangxia, statuesque Wuxia and ferocious Xilingxia gorges, is one of and ferocious Xilongxia gorges, is one of the world's major canyons. Along the way there are such scenic attractions as the Fengdu Mountain. Baidi city, Shibao village, Zhang Fel's Temple, Qu Yuan's Temple, and the Three Gorges Dam.
Fengdu, with fantastic temples of underworld demons and gods, is constructed on the Mingshan Hill by the river band. It is known as the "Ghost City" and is a place for punishing the devil and awarding the good.
Shibaozhai architecture consists of three parts: the gate, the pagoda and the temple on the top. A nine story red wooden pagoda with upturned eaves 50m high, dates back to the Qing Dynasty. Stairs to the top give a magnificent view over the river.
One of the most important and largest ports on the Yangtze. It is widely known for its variety and hustling markets. Fifty percent of the city will be resettled after the Three Gorges Dam Project is completed.
The Baidi City lies in the eastern part of Fengjie, four kilometers away. Famous poets such as Libai, Dufu, Liu'yuxi, Luyou, Fan Dacheng have ever been here, so the Baidi City is well known as "the Poet City". There are two famous legends, one is "the seven hundred connected barracks were burned", and the other is "the orphan was put in trust in Baidi City", both of which make the Baidi City more famous.
Gorges extends 193 kilometers along the Yangtze River and is one of China's finest areas of scenery, cultural history and sources of tourism.
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.
Wu Gorge 44 kilometers long. The gorge is known for its deep valleys and forest covered mountains.
Xiling Gorge The longest of the three (66 kilometers). The banks are covered with orange orchards. Along this gorge sit many archeological sites, including the Huangling Temple, first built during the Three Kingdoms Period.
Wushan, the Three Small Gorges, referring to the three separate valleys of the Daning River, are respectively, Dragon-Gate Gorge, Misty Gorge and Emerald Gorge. You can take a small junk to enjoy these marvelous spectacles of nature.
Shennong stream is located in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province The 60-kilometer Shennong Stream rises in the southern part of Shennongjia Nature Reserve and joins the Yangtze River at Xirangkou in Badong County. Its natural beauty and local color have attracted the interest of overseas tourists. The Shennong Stream Special Rafting Tour is a key program.
The Shennong Stream Special Rafting Tour covers 20 kilometers from Mian Zhu (Bamboo) Gorge to Yingwu (Parrot) Gorge and Longchuan Gorge. During the rafting tour, you might see large and small karst caves, home of many swallows, a world of high cliffs, deep gorges, flying waterfalls, three-colored springs, the ancient trestle path the suspended coffin in the cliff, the groups of ancient tombs and marvelous karst formations. Startled swallows swoop overhead, fish swim about in the depths of the water and monkeys play on shore. The natural landscape is fascinating for overseas tourists sightseeing on simple, peapod-like flat boats.
The boats will raft to a Longchuanhe Village where the Tujia minority nationality people live. They are hardworking and hospitable people and are good at singing and dancing. You can catch a picture of Tujia’s local and traditional style of living.
The average flow of the stream is 20 cubic meter per second a year. It is an ideal place for drafting tour with a very good experience of adventures without any danger.
The dam site is 27 miles upstream from Yichang City proper, at Sandouping Town, 38km upstream from the Gezhouba Dam Lock, inside the third of the Three Gorges. It is planned to be by far the largest hydroelectric project in the world. The Project calls for the construction of a concrete dam, a hydroelectric power plant and a series of locks just below the scenic Three Gorges region. The project is designed to be built in three phases and is scheduled for completion in year 2009. Upon arrival at Sandouping, passengers will take a bus across the Three Gorges Bridge, which leads toward the top of the hill for a birds-eye view of the construction from the observation deck. Visitors will observe the five-step ship lock, the diversion canal, the dam in construction, and the power station. English speaking professional guides will be on hand to provide detailed information on the history of the dam and facts on its construction. In addition, an exhibition room displays a model of the dam, and offers passengers another opportunity to ask questions and learn about the benefits of this amazing project. One of the largest construction projects ever undertaken in the world, the Three Gorges Project will forever change the face of the Yangtze River as we know it today. Possessing comprehensive utilization benefits mainly for flood control, power generation and navigation improvement. It will be a vital important and backbone project in harnessing and developing of the Yangtze River. Measures have been taken to preserve and move the historical and cultural relics found along its banks; however many scenic spots will be adversely affected. The most dramatic section of the river, what we refer to as "the heart of the Yangtze"-the area from the Three Gorges all the way upstream to Chongqing-will eventually be drowned by the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, an integral part of the Three Gorges Project.