Three Gorges of Changjiang River

(Local Name: Changjiang Sanxia) Scenically the most beautiful section of the Changjiang is the 200km/125mi stretch between Fengjie, a small town 260km/160mi east of Chongqing, and Yichang in the province of Hubei. This stretch used to be difficult to navigate, and during high water not possible at all, because of its raging torrents and numerous shallows. To move up-river, boats had to be towed. Blasting of the underwater shallows has now lessened the dangers.

From west to east, one behind the other, lie the three famous and picturesque gorges known as Qutang, Wu and Xiling.

At a number of places the river, a mixture of raging torrents and dangerous shallows, winds its way through the gorges which are lined with rugged cliffs and high mountain peaks. There are many places of interest to tourists. A sight-seeing tour of the Three Gorges and the historical and cultural monuments can be made only by boat. As a rule the excursion will commence in Chongqing and pass through Changzhou, Fuling, Fengdu, Zhongxian and Wanxian to Yichang.

Between Zhongxian and Wanxian lies the fortified Treasury (Shi Bao Zhai), a 50m/164ft high rock plateau. An unusual, pagoda-like staircase tower catches the eye, which was built into the rock face by the Emperor Jiaqing and forms the only access to the plateau. The twelve-story construction is the tallest building of its kind in China. On the summit is the Hall of the Heavenly Son (Tianzi Dian), a temple with a statue of the Buddha and a stela (upright slab) inscribed with the temple's construction history. Legend has it that at one time rice would fall every day from a small hole in the rock and thus provide food for the monks. It was this ''treasure'' found in the rock that gave the temple its name. When some monks tried to enlarge the hole the rice stopped flowing.

On the opposite bank from the town of Yunyang stands the Temple of Zhang Fei Miao, dating from the Northern Song period (960-1127). It was erected in memory of General Zhang Fei, who is said to have been murdered here by mutinous army officers in the year 220.