The Yangtze River is the longest river in China. The Three Gorges Dam, the largest water conservancy project ever undertaken by man, is now being built at Sandouping in the middle of Xiling Gorge, the longest of the famous Yangtze Three Gorges. The Three Gorges Dam is 2,335 metres long, 185 metres high, 18 metres wide on top and 130 metres wide at the bottom.
The part of the river that you can travel between is Chongqing and Yichang. One of the towns you will pass along the way is Fengdu, which for centuries has been called the Ghost City. It is an ancient city built in the hills facing the Yangtze River.
The 60-kilometre Shennong Stream rises in the southern part of the Shennongjia Reserve. The stream flows north to south through deep gorges, and finally merges with the Yangtze at the mouth of the Wuxia Gorge. Shennong Stream starts at Mt. Shennong Jia in Hubei Province north of the Yangtze. It comprises of Parrot Gorge and Dragon Boot Gorge, both with breathtaking scenery.
Sailing through the treacherous gorges with lush pine and translucent water, visitors can see spectacular sights like primitive plank roads, ancient suspension coffins, watery caves, rainbow fountains and wildlife.
Further down the river is the White Emperor City. For $3 dollars a ride up the hill, it's worth it. At White Emperor Temple you will get an amazing view of the Three Gorges! They stretch for more than 200 spectacular kilometres, with hundreds of smaller streams snaking into them. So if you want to explore them, there's only one way to do it - by boat.
Hero Image: By Captain Lloyd For Hire on Flickr
