The Yangtze River, which rolls on and on, is called the mother river of the Chinese nation. It rises in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau where glaciers pile one upon another and undulating snowy mountains stretch for kilometers. Fed by hundreds of thousands of streams and rivers, it swells into a formidable torrent in the Sichuan Basin.
The Yangtze River flows through the Sichuan Basin to Fengjie in the east, pushes its way through high mountains and towering ridges to Nanjin Pass in Yichang, forms magnificent and matchless valleys—the Three Gorges, which are the most spectacular pearl inlaid on the Yangtze River and ranked as one of the 10 top scenery areas in China. Consisting of the following three sections——Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge, the Three Gorges are the sole canyon for tourists to visit the whole course in the world.
The Three Gorges of Yangtze River extend 193 kilometers from the western Baidicheng in Sichan Province, to Nanjinguan of Yichang city in Hubei Province in the east. They differ from each other in sceneries: Qutang Gorge is straight and craggy; Wu Gorge, deep, serene and exquisite; while Xiling Gorge perilous for its shoals and rapid currents.
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 sly. 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.
