The Yangtze River and its surroundings have so much more to see than can be appreciated in one visit. The main attractions include various large and small cities along the riverside, many of which are many hundreds of years old, the Three Gorges, the enormous Three Gorges Dam and of course, the river itself.
One can not talk about Three Gorges Dam without mentioning the Yangtze Gorges. The Yangtze Gorges lay in the upper reaches of Yangtze River and form a common boundary for Hubei province, Sichuan province and Chongqing city. It arches across Fengjie county and Mt. Wu of Chongqing city, five counties of Hubei province and Yichang city. It begins in the west from Baidi City in Fengjie County and ends at Nanjin pass in Yichang city, Hubei province, a distance of 192 kilometers. Yangtze River plunges through Mt. Wu, Huangling Temple and Bamianshan mountainous region which result from Yanshan Movement. Therefore, such three huge gorges as Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge and Daning River Dale and Xiangxi Dale came into being. "Three Gorges"are deemed as their general name.
Before Liberation, this area contained many dangerous shoals and reefs and was full of speedy riptides and backwashes, causing incidents from time to time. The locals used to say "It is easier to pass the gates of hell than to pass the Three Gorges".
After Liberation, the Chinese government embarked on program to control the Three Gorges and the waterway was been greatly improved by removing the reefs and directing the water, especially after the construction of the Gezhouba Dam hydro project. The dam raised the water level of the upper reaches by more than 20 meters. The water reached back for more than 100 kilometers and covered the dangerous shoal and reefs and the problems of sailing in the Three Gorges were completely solved. Lighthouses, beacons and navigational aids have beebn erected along the banks and ships can proceed without hindrance day and night.
The famous Three Gorges section of the Yangtze river stretches for 192km from Yichang to Kui Men near Fengjie. The three major gorges, after which this section of the river is named are the WuXia Gorge, the Xiling Gorge and the Qutang Gorge. The Three Minor Gorges consist of the Huangniu (Yellow Buffalo) Gorge, Dengying (Slide Show) Gorge and Huangmao (Yellow Cat) Gorge. Also worth a visit is the Shennong Stream.
The two modern wonders--Three Gorges and Gezgou Dam will become the new sites of Yangtze River in the near future, adding new flavor to the river. As a combination of natural beauty, historical relics and modern wonders, the Three Gorges will attract and fascinate tourists from all over the world. The Three Gorges stands at Zhongbao island of Sandouping of Yichang city, Hubei province. It is 38 kilometers away from the Gezhouba Dam hydro junction and the largest hydro junction project in the world.
Opened in 1997, the Three Gorges Dam Scenic Area is mainly composed of Tanzi Mountain, 185 Platform, Dam Viewing Point and Memorial Garden. It fully displays to visitors the culture of the water conservancy project. Climbing on the Viewing Platform, visitors will have a panoramic view of the Three Gorges Dam. 185 Platform got the name from its height 185 meters, equivalent to the height of the dam crest. Standing on the Dam Viewing Point, visitors will see the huge dam body at close range. The Memorial Garden is a large open air museum where exhibits a large number of machines that have been used in the dam construction, such as mechanical excavators and cranes. Besides, visitors can also go to Huangling Temple, the largest ancient building in the Three Gorges area.
At the end of the Three Gorges Section lies the giant Three Gorges Dam (Gezhouba Dam). It was commenced the 80's, and its completion is scheduled for 2009. It will back up the Yangtze River for 550km, making it the world's largest dam. Due to the fact that the water will rise to a level of 185m behind the dam, millions of people have had to be resettled, bridges moved and historical relicts secured. The energy production capabilities of the dam are estimated at 84.7 billion kilowatts, equivalent to 18 nuclear reactors. The three single stage locks guarantee that ship traffic is not delayed.
The easiest and most comfortable way to experience the beauties and attractions on the river is in taking a Yangtze River Cruise.
Transportation:
1. Take bus no.4, 10, 10-1, 21, 34, 100, or 101 in Yichang City and get off at Yemingzhu Station, take bus no.8 in the dam area and get off at Liuzhashou Tourist Reception Center and take the minibus to visit the dam area.
2. Take bus no.3, 4, 9, 21 or 100 and get off at Dongshan Dadao (opposite to Pinghu Hotel), and take tour bus to reach the dam area.
Entrance Fee: CNY 105 (including the minibus in the scenic area which runs at every 20 mintes)
Tips:
You can take No.4 bus to Yemingzhu Bus Station in Yichang city proper then change to take No. 8 bus to Dam area (costs 8 yuan per person), which only takes half an hour.