The Three Gorges

    Name in Chinese: 长江三峡  Cháng Jiāng Sān Xiá  [tsæŋ dʒæŋ sæ ʃa:]

    Duration of Tour: Four Days

    Location: Eastern Chongqing and Western Hubei Province

    Highlights: Gorgeous View of the Three Gorges and the Tujia People’s Culture

    Reputations: One of China’s Top Ten Holiday Destinations

    The Three Gorges are a section of the Yangtze River which lies between Chongqing and Hubei Province. This part of the Yangtze has been an important inland waterway connecting Southeastern China with Southwestern China since ancient times. The waterway is notable for its gorgeous view and places of historic interest, such as the White-Emperor Town, Fengdu Ghost City and Shibaozhai Fortress. The world’s largest hydro power station, the Three-Gorge Dam is located in the east of the waterway. It is the main component of the Three-Gorge Water Conservancy Project. China-West-Trip provides tourists with a luxury cruise along the Three Gorges which also includes some trips ashore.

    With a total length of 193 kilometers(120 miles), the Three Gorges include Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge.

    Kuimen(or Qutangguan) is the west mouth of the waterway, is the entrance to Qutang Gorge which is well-known for the magnificence of the scenery. Qutang Gorge is the shortest one of the three gorges with a length of 8 kilometers(5 miles).

    Wu Gorge is the middle section of the Three Gorges. It is 46 kilometers(29 miles) in length, is the most gorgeous one among the Three Gorges.

    Xiling Gorge is the east section of the Three Gorges, is 66 kilometers(41 miles) in length. It is the longest and most perilous one among the Three Gorges.

    Travel Tips

    How to Get to the Three Gorges

    Foreigners usually travel to Chongqing, and then embark on a luxury cruise ship at Chaotianmen Pier. They need to spend four days cruising the Three Gorges. Chongqing is an important aviation hub in Southwestern China. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport operates flights to 61 overseas terminals and 142 cities within Mainland China. The overseas terminals include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, etc. The tourist can also ride a bullet train to Chongqing from some major cities within Mainland China, such as, Chengdu and Xi’an. Some of the tourists start their tour along the waterway at Yichang Pier where the Three-Gorge Dam is situated. Yichang is a prefecture in Western Hubei Province. However, the cruise upstream the river takes five days.

    Weather

    Both Chongqing and Hubei have a subtropical climate feature with an annual rainfall of over 1,000 mm. The temperature in the area ranges from 9℃(48.2°F) to 15℃(59°F) in spring, 20℃(68°F) to 27℃(80.6°F) in summer, 25℃(77°F) to 33℃(91.4°F) in autumn, and 12℃(53.6°F) to 17℃(62.6°F) in winter. Both spring and autumn are the best time to go on a cruise along the river. The spring comes in March and goes in May, while the autumn lasts from September to November.

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Author: Tina Luo

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