The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, a world-renowned tourist attraction, start at Baidicheng (White Emperor City) in Fengjie County (population 990,000) in the west and end at Nanjingguan (Southern Crossing) Pass in Yichang to the east, passing through Badong, Zigui counties and Yichang City in Hubei Province. The total length of the gorges extends 193 kilometres. Except the Daning River Valley and the Xiangxi (Fragrant Stream) Valley, the gorges themselves are 93 kilometres long. The first gorge of the three from west to east, known as Qutang Gorge , is 7 kilometres, W uxia Gorge, the second one, runs west to east for 44 kilometres; Xiling Gorge , the last of the three, covers a distance of 42 kilometres.

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 nature's 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 i (c. 340-c. 278 BC), a great patriotic poet and statesman of the third century BC and Wang Zhaojun in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 23), who did her bit for the promotion of the national unity. A host of great historic poets, such as Li Bai (701-762), DuFu (712-770), BaiJuyi (772-846), LuYou (1125-1210) and Su Shi (1037-1101) greatly admired the beautiful and charming landscape and wrote down quite a number of emotional poems.

The gorges themselves are a long poem, a mysterious natural gallery.

Qutang Gorge is famous for its magnificent precipices , which form a colossal, nearly perfect gate over the river. Wuxia Gorge, with soaring fascinating mountain peaks rising from the riverbanks, is severe and secluded, and presents a panorama of lovely scenery ! Xiling Gorge is noted for its numerous hidden rocks and perilous shoals . The picturesque scenery along the river, which never fails to appeal to visitors, will surely make them admire the mysterious creative power of nature.

Qutang Gorge

Originating on the Qinghai Highland, the 6,300- kilometre-long Yangtze River, the longest river in China, sweeps east. When the river reaches eastern Sichuan, it cuts through the Wushan Mountain. There the river course suddenly narrows and the waters become turbulent. Craggy mountains rise on either side, creating the Three Gorges-reputed as one of China's greatest natural wonders. The first gorge is named Qutang Gorge, which extends from Baidicheng in the west to the town of Daqizhen in the east. With precipices towering over the two banks only 100 metres apart, the mighty Yangtze River waters are suddenly constricted in front of Kuimen Gate, the gorge entrance. Waves billow, currents whirl and the river roars angrily. Sailing through the 7-kilometre-long Qutang Gorge, the tourist occasionally sees narrow paths carved on the riverside cliffs. In ancient times these were the only roads for troop movements, mercantile transport and boat towing. The boat haulers, prostrating themselves almost to the ground, would plod on and on while singing sad "work songs" to synchronize their movements. If any of them dropped from illness or exhaustion, the boat owner, however hind-hearted he might be, couldn't steer to the shore to pick him up. He had to be left to his fate on the towpath. It is the shortest, but the most magnificent of the Three Gorges. It is also known as the most fearsome waterway.

Qutang Gorge is also known as Kuixia Gorge. It controls the flow of the Yangtze River and is the gateway between Chongqing Municipality and Hubei Province.

Wuxia (Witches) Gorge

Wuxia Gorge stretches across Chongqing Municipality and Hubei Province, from the Daning River Estuary in Sichuan to the Guandukou in Badong County (population 490,000) of Hubei Province in the east.

Flanked by craggy peaks and grotesque rock, it forms a meandering scenic gallery, totalling 44 kilometres in distance. Sometimes there seems no way ahead, suddenly an unimpeded path is in front while the water winds along mountain ridges. The beautiful scenery on both banks is too capricious to take them all in.

On a cruise down the Wuxia Gorge, the tourist's mind is on twelve peaks.

Six of the 12 sentinal peaks line the north bank: the Shengquan (Sage Spring) Jixian (Congregated Immortals) , Songluan (Fir Tree Cone) Shennli (Goddess) , Zhaoyun (Facing Clouds) and Denglong (Climbing Dragon) Of the other six peaks on the south bank, three are visible (Assembled Crains), Cuiping (Misty Screen) and Feifeng (Flying Phoenix) The other three of Jingtan (Clean Altar) , Qiyun (Rising Cloud) and Shangsheng (Mounting Aloft) are hidden behind the peaks on the right of Qingqi Stream, a tributary of Yangtze River. That is why great poet Lu You (1125-1210) of Southern Song Dynasty wrote: "Nine out of twelve mountain peaks are visible " All the peaks are given their names by their different shapes. Varying from seasons and weathers, their pretty scenery is the everlasting appeal to tourists.

The Daning River, a 300- kilometre-long tributary joins the Yangtze River at the mouth of the Wuxia Gorge. It is full of shoals and whirling pools. With precipitous peaks standing on two sides and turbulent currents sma"hing against rock-sides, the scenery there is just like a landscape painting, and in many ways like those of the Yangtze Gorges, hence the name "the Three Little Gorges."

Xiling Gorge

Xiling Gorge begins at the Xiangxi (Fragrant Stream) in the west and ends at Nanjingguan Pass in the east. It is known for its numerous hidden rocks, dangerous shoals and turbulent rapids. 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 Shoal. Since the Gezhouba Dam Project was completed, the turbulent has been smoothed down while the scenery along the gorges remains intact.

It is said that the Gorge of the Sword and Book on the Art of War was the place where Zhuge Liang (a statesman and strategist in the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), who became a symbol of resourcefulness and wisdom in Chinese folklore), Prime Minister of Shu State of the Three Kingdoms period, had stored his grain and a book on the art of war. The Gorge of the Cow Liver and the Horse's Lung is on the north bank of the Yangtze River. On the cliff there are 4 or 5 yellow stone slabs shaped like cow's livers. Above them visitors can see half of a rock there in the form of a horse's lung. The Kongling Gorge used to be full of hidden rocks, which result in rapids. On the riverbank of Kongling Gorge stands a set of rocks, which looks like a person leading a cow. This small section is called the Cow Gorge with the person coloured black and the cow coloured yellow. The Shadow Play Gorge is situated on the south bank of the Yangtze River. The four rocks jutting up into the sky resemble four characters in the Chinese mythological novel "Pilgrimage to the West . "When viewed from a distance, Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and the Buddhist Monk silhouetted against the setting sun are really in a natural shadow play, hence the name.

Crashing through narrow Nanjinguan (Southern Crossing) Pass, the eastern gorge exit, the river suddenly widens to approximately 2,000 metres and a vast plain comes into view. Passengers will flock to the sides of the boat to see Gezhouba, the first dam built on the Yangtze River. The project, completed in 1981, was China's largest hydropower installation. Tourists will admire the mammoth structure and watch the steamer enter the ship lock, lowering it scores of metres and then sailing on.