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The Three Gorges on
the Yangtze River in Chongqing are the Qutang, the Wu (Wuxia) and
the Xiling gorges. The Three Gorges, known as
the natural barriers on the Yangtze River, start
from Baidicheng in the west and end at Nanjin
Pass in Yichang, Hubei province, while passing
through Fengjie in Sichuan province, Wushan, Badong, Zigui, Yichang
with the whole journey totaling 193 kilometers long.
The Qutang Gorge in
Fengjie, totaling 33 kilometers long, is the shortest
but also the grandest of the three gorges. White
King town can be seen at the entrance to Qutang
Gorge. It was at this historical town that the
dying King of Shu, Liu Bei, entrusted his son
and kingdom to Zhu Geliang, as told in the
classic Chinese novel of the Romance of the
Three Kingdoms. Coffins discovered up in the
hills were believed from the Warring States
period since one of the customs of the ancient
tribe was to put their dead in high mountain
caves.
The Wu Gorge is
about 40 kilometers long with the cliffs on both
sides rising to almost 900 meters high. Sharp
and jagged peaks can be seen on its northern
bank namely the beautiful Goddess Peak and Peak
of the Immortals. Most boats can be seen
stopping in between the Qutang and Wu gorges to transfer
tourists to smaller boats for tours of the
Little Three Gorges. The longest of the three
gorges is the Xiling Gorge measuring over 80
kilometers long and the huge Three Gorges Dam
project can be seen as you get towards the end
with the Gezhou Dam as its main attraction.
Sheer
precipices on either side are less than 100 meters
apart and form a colossal which is almost a
perfect gate over the river. This three great
gorges is regarded as one of China's greatest
scenic attractions and many would relished the
chance to view the rock formations up close.
Transport:
Visitors may get on a boat from Chongqing to
Fengjie to start the Three Gorges tour. Another
alternative is to begin the tour from Yichang.
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