.jpg?width=1600)
Three Gorges of the Yangtze River
长江三峡 · Fengjie, Chongqing – Yichang, Hubei, China
Qutang's grandeur, Wu Gorge's beauty, Xiling's peril — one great river writes half of Chinese history
Know before you go
- No throwing rubbish into the river and no smoking in the deck's non-smoking areas
- don't leave the group on your own during port stops to enter unopened tidal flats of the drawdown zone
- cultural sites such as the cliff coffins and the tracker-path remains must not be climbed or touched
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
Legend
The legend of Goddess Peak at Wushan
The legend of the Goddess Peak in Wu Gorge comes from the Warring States rhapsodies: Song Yu's "Gaotang Fu" tells of King Huai of Chu dreaming of the Goddess of Mount Wu, who said of herself that she was morning clouds at dawn and driving rain at dusk. Folk tradition also identifies the goddess with Yaoji, daughter of Yao — the tale says (legend, not history) that she died unmarried and was buried on the sunny side of Mount Wu, and moreover helped Yu the Great cut the gorge and control the waters, standing so long by the river that she turned into a stone pillar, known to the world as the Goddess Peak. Sailing through Wu Gorge, guides usually point out among the twelve peaks the one shaped like a maiden standing. The distinction to keep is this: goddess belief and the literary motif are cultural memory constructed layer upon layer by later generations, while the gorge itself is a geological work cut through the mountains by the Yangtze over hundreds of millions of years; reading legend and geology separately is the right way to read the Three Gorges. Look up as your boat passes Wu Gorge at night — the Goddess Peak hides in cloud and mist; knowing it is a legend before looking adds, if anything, a further layer of reverence.
History
Geography and engineering history of the Three Gorges
The Three Gorges is the collective name of Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge; the gorge reach totals about 190-plus kilometres, from Baidi City in Fengjie, Chongqing in the west to Nanjinguan in Yichang, Hubei in the east. Geologically it is gorge terrain formed as the Yangtze cut through the Wushan mountains and others; historically it preserves the Ba people's cliff coffins, remains of the Daxi culture and ancient battlefields of the Three Kingdoms — Liu Bei's deathbed entrustment at Baidi City and Li Bai's poem of leaving Baidi at dawn both happened here. After the Three Gorges Project was built, the dam stands at Sandouping in the middle reach of Xiling Gorge; the reservoir's impoundment raised upstream water levels, some old towns and cultural relics were relocated or preserved protectively, and the White Crane Ridge survives preserved in the form of an underwater museum. Modern touring is structured around luxury Chongqing–Yichang cruises, linking Fengdu, Baidi City, the Lesser Three Gorges and the dam's ship locks.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Three Gorges is a miniature of Yangtze civilization: Ba culture upstream, the beacon fires of the Three Kingdoms mid-stream and the customs of Chu downstream are strung on one waterway; as the boat passes, county towns, wharves and the boatmen's work songs of the gorge river together compose the Chinese people's shared memory of mountains and waters.
Local customs
- Both banks of the gorge river keep the memory of tracker culture
- Baidi City carries the historical narrative of Liu Bei's entrustment
- Fengjie is known for navel oranges and Wushan for red leaves
- riverside towns still keep to this day the market rhythms of fair days and temple gatherings
- the Three Gorges Red Leaves Festival and the Wushan International Film Week are contemporary festivals.
Religion & beliefs
- No specific religious affiliation
- along the route are shrine temples such as the Zhang Fei Temple and the Baidi Temple and remains of the cliff-coffin burial custom — historical and folk relics
- cruise commentary distinguishes legendary embellishment from archaeological conclusions, so listen out for it.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- No throwing rubbish into the river and no smoking in the deck's non-smoking areas
- don't leave the group on your own during port stops to enter unopened tidal flats of the drawdown zone
- cultural sites such as the cliff coffins and the tracker-path remains must not be climbed or touched
Locals appreciate DO
- Confirm in advance the boarding city and the sailing's direction (downstream Chongqing to Yichang and upstream differ in days)
- when viewing from the deck, secure your belongings, and on windy days keep children away from the edges of the railings
- on shore excursions, return to the ship at the guide's assembly time — cruises do not wait for late passengers
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- The Three Gorges have no single scenic-area ticket
- touring is carried by the cruise ticket, whose price varies enormously with ship type, cabin type and season — confirm which shore attractions are included before booking
- Downstream (Chongqing to Yichang) generally takes 3–4 days and upstream 4–5 days
- international cruise ships and domestic cruise ships have different service standards, so choose by your holiday length
- Dam-area visits and lock transit times are affected by water levels and scheduling
- itinerary times are planned times — the ship's announcements on the day prevail
- Three Gorges touring is possible all year round
- spring and autumn are best, summer brings much mist in the gorges, and winter water levels and scenery have a character of their own. There is no unified ticket: Chongqing–Yichang cruise tickets are roughly CNY 1,500–5,000 per person (cabin type, ship type and season differ greatly
- self-paid shore items are extra) — the cruise companies' official booking pages prevail. Chongqing's Chaotianmen and Yichang's Maoping or Zigui ports are the main boarding and disembarkation points, with convenient high-speed rail and flight connections. An itinerary of about 4 days is recommended: view the three gorges and the tributaries in segments by day, schedule the ship-lift or five-stage lock experience for the dam day, and keep one evening of deck time for Wu Gorge's clouds and rain.
Maps & transport notes
- Spans about 190 km from Fengjie, Chongqing, to Yichang, Hubei
- the map searches by name
Eat nearby
What to eat nearby
Must-try
- Chongqing hotpot
- Wanzhou grilled fish
- Fengjie navel oranges
- Yichang fatty-fish hotpot
- Tujia cured pork and hezha
Chongqing hotpot (the ceremonial meal before boarding); Wanzhou grilled fish (grilled first, then stewed — numbing, spicy and fresh); Fengjie navel oranges (a gorge-river speciality, in season in autumn and winter); Yichang fatty-fish hotpot (Yangtze fatty fish killed and shabu-cooked fresh); Tujia cured pork and hezha (riverside farmhouse flavours)
| Where to eat | Before boarding, the fullest choice is around Chongqing's Jiefangbei and Chaotianmen; during the voyage, the ports of Fengdu, Fengjie and central Yichang offer night markets and river-fresh restaurants, and the cruise itself has Chinese and Western buffets and à la carte restaurants |
|---|---|
| Dining etiquette | At cruise buffets take only what you need and don't waste; at riverside hotpot, confirm the charges for the pot base and the dipping oil first; when buying Fengjie navel oranges by the box, inspect the fruit before sealing the box |
| Typical price per person | Shore meals run CNY 60–120 per person (market reference); cruise dining is mostly included in the ticket, with speciality restaurants and self-paid shore items extra |
| Tips | The ticket price difference comes mainly from cabin type and the newness of the ship; before booking, check whether shore-attraction tickets are included; those prone to seasickness should choose a large-tonnage cruise ship and a cabin amidships on a middle deck |
Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.
Photos
Photos
.jpg?width=640)
Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0
Peter Tritthart · CC BY 3.0
More in China
Also nearby
Cantonese dim sum
'One pot, two pieces': a pot of tea with two dim sum — Guangzhou mornings begin in the teahouse.
Butter tea
A highland drink churned from tea, butter and salt — the first cup a Tibetan home offers a guest.
Nanjing salted duck
'Jinling's duck dishes are the best in the land': dry-cured, brined and simmered, with pale skin and tender meat.