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Three Gorges Tour |
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The
Yangtze River is the longest river in China as well as one of the
longest rivers in the world. The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River are
Famous for their breathtaking scenery, and are praised as nature's art
gallery and wonderland. Of the three Gorges, the Qutang Gorge is
magnificent and precipitous, the Wuxia Gorge is deep and beautiful and
the Xiling Gorge has rapids and many rocks. The water in the Mini
Three Gorges is clean and both banks are blanketed with trees and have
many historical sites, scenic spots and lovely legends. Today, a huge
dam is being built along the Three Gorges. After completion, it will
offer visitors a new look amidst the precipitous gorges.
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Dazu Stone Sculptures |
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Cliffside Carvings at Baodingshan
(Precious Crown Hill)
Baodingshan (Precious Crown Hill), 15 kilometers northeast of Dazu, is
well known for its comprisal of more than 10,000 magnificent
sculptures, which were created under the direction of a distinguished
local Buddhist monk Zhao Zhifeng in the Song Dynasty (9601279). It has
a history of over 800 years. The cliffside carvings in Dafowan (Great
Buddha Bend) are best preserved and most numerous. Dafowan is a
U-shaped valley. Altogether, 31 niches are arranged in a row on the
30-meter high, 500-meter long precipitous cliffside. The carvings are
chiefly about reincarnations of the Sutra. In each niche are groups of
sculptures with Buddhist inscriptions, tenets, or eulogies, telling
serial stories from the Sutra, just like scrools of ancient picture
books. The grottoes at the Precious Crown Hill are characterized by
their distinct national style, local themes, and secularized
renditions. These features make the grottoes a treasure house of
grotto art in China. |
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Baidi Town |
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Baidicheng (White King City)
Baidicheng (white King City) lies on the north bank of the Yangtze
River and to the east of Fengjie County, guarding the entrance to
Qutang Gorge. Over 2000 thousand years ago, it was the founding place
of the ancient Ba Kingdom. In Qin (221207 B.C.) and Han (206 B.C. A.D.
220 ) Dynasties, the place was named Yufu County. At the end of
Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.A.D. 24), Gongsun Shu made himself ruler
of the State of Shu and moved his capital from Chengdu to Yufu. As the
legend goes, Gongsun Shu found a well when building the town. From
this well emitted white vapor which he associated with the flying of a
white dragon. So he renamed himself the White King and the town
Baidicheng (White King City). Because of its scenic beauty, many
famous poets of Tang (618907) and Song (960 1279) Dynasties visited
the place and left numerous poems. That is why the town is also called
the poetic town. On the west and east wings of the White King Temple
are 74 stone tablets made since the Sui Dynasty (581 618). They are of
great historical value. |
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The Qutang Gorge |
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Qutang Gorge extends from
Baidicheng in the west to the town of Daxizhen in the east. It is the
shortest but the most magnificent of the Three Gorges. Qutang Gorge is
also known as Kuixia Gorge. The broadest part of the gorge is only 150
meters, while the narrowest is less than 100 meters. At the mouth of
the gorge stand two perpendicular cliffs facing each other. They look
like two giant gates, hence the name Kui Gate or Qutang Pass. It is
also the most dangerous and feared part of the Three Gorges.
On the north bank of the gorge is Chijia (Red Scale) Mountain, which
looks crimson. Opposite it stands the Baiyan (White Salt) Mountain,
which bears the color of grayish white. Presenting a sharp color
contrast, the two mountains make a marvelous view. In addition to
Baidicheng, there are many other scenic spots and places of historical
interest in the gorge, such as the peculiar rock called the Monk
Hanging by the Feet, the legendary Meng Liang Staircase, the Fengxiang
(Bellows) Gorge, an ancient plank road built on the face of a cliff,
and the Phoenix Spring, etc. |
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Daning River |
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Daning River and the Little
Three Gorges
The Daning River, a 300 kilometer
tributary that joins the Yangtze River at the mouth of the Wuxia
Gorge, is full of shoals and whirlpools. With precipitous peaks
standing on both sides and turbulent currents smashing against the
huge rocks, the small gorges are in many ways like those of the
Yangtze River Gorges, hence its name the Little Three Gorges. Famous
scenic sites are: Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge, Dicui Gorge, Miaoxia
Gorge, Yezhuxia Gorge. They are now attracting more and more tourist
every year. |
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Wuxia Gorge |
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Wuxia
Gorge, one of the Three Gorges, stretches from the Daning River
Estuary in Chongqing to the Guandukou Estuary in Badong County of
Hubei Province. Flanked bycraggy peaks and grotesque rocks, it forms a
meandering scenic gallery. The beautiful scenes on both banks are too
numerous for the eye to take in all at the same time
On a cruise down the Wuxia Gorge, one can enjoy the beauty of 12
peaks. Six of the the 12 peaks line the northern bank: Shenquan,
Jixian, Songluan, Shennu, Chaoyun, and Denglong. Of the other six
peaks on the southern bank, only three are visible: Juhe, Cuiping, and
Feilong. The other three: Jingtan, Qiyun, and Shangsheng are hidden
behind the peaks on the right of the Qingshixi Stream, a tributary of
Yangtse River. All the peaks derived their names from their different
shapes. Changing with the seasons and weather, these beautiful scenes
have everlasting appeal to tourists. |
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Dongting Lake |
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Situated in the north of
Hunan Province, Dongting Lake is the second largest body of fresh
water in China. Now the lake is divided into three sections: East
Dongting Lake, South Dongting Lake, and West Dongting Lake. Dongting
Lake area is well-known as Land of Fish and Rice. There are several
islands in the lake: the most famous is Junshan Island, where silver
needle tea is grown. Around the lake there are the Yueyang Tower,
Mount Jun, Lu Sus Tomb and a number of sites of historic interest. |
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Yueyang Tower |
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Located
on the west city wall, the Yueyang Tower is one of the three famous
towers in South China. The predecessor of Yueyang Tower was a
structure built in the Three Kingdoms period (220 -280 AD) for
reviewing military parades. In the fifth year of the Emperor Qingli of
the Song Dynasty, it was rebuilt, and the famous Song Dynasty essay
writer Fan Zhongyan wrote his famous essay Notes on Yueyang Tower,
which was considered matchless in literary beauty and profound
thought. The lines in the essay of be concerned before anyone else
becomes concerned; enjoy yourself only after everyone else finds
enjoyment, has become household words in China.
Yueyang Tower is a three-story wooden structure supported by four
pillars. It is nineteen meters tall and has upturned eaves and a
helmet shaped roof. The structure is a unique combination of artistic
tastes, mechanics, architecture, and craftsmanship. The Tower affords
a spectacular view of Dongting Lake. |
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Xiling Gorge |
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The
Xiling Gorge is one of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. It is 76
kilometers long, stretching from the Xiangxi stream to Nanjin Pass in
Yichang. It is the longest and most difficult one of the three gorges
to pass on the Yangtze River. Its channel is full of shoals, whirling
pools and submerged reefs, making the water run in different
directions. Tourist attractions include the Book on Art of War and
Sword Gorge, the Cattle Liver and Horse Lung Gorge, the Lamp Shadow
Gorge, the Black Shoal and the Discharge Water Shoal. |
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Gezhouba Dam |
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Gezhouba Water Conservancy
Project
Located on the
Yangtze River north of Yichang City, Gezhouba Water Conservancy
Project is the biggest dam on the Yangtze River. It is also the
largest hydroelectric power station in the country. The first phase of
the project started in 1970, and in 1988 the second phase of the
project finished. The Gezhouba dam is 2,606 meters long, and 70 meters
high, with a capacity of 271.5 kilo watt. |
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Shennongjia |
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Shennongjia Scenic Spot (神农架风景区)
The Shennongjia District in
north-western Hubei has the wildest scenery in the province. With
heavily forested mountains reaching over 3,000 meters, the area is
famous for the sightings of wild creatures. The whole area occupies
3,250 square kilometers, with an altitude of more than 1,000 meters
above sea level. There are 6 mountain peaks, which are higher than
3,000 meters above sea level. In this area grow various plants and
wild animals, which are rarely found in other parts of the world. |
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Ancient City of Jinzhou |
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Jingzhou City in Jiangling
Jingzhou, now Jiangling County of Hubei, used to be a place of
military strategic significance in history. In the year of 689 BC, the
State of Chu built its capital here. During the Three Kingdoms Period
Jingzhou was the city fought for by the three different kingdom
armies. After that four more dynasties set up capitals here. The old
Jingzhou City was said to be built more than 1,700 years ago. The
existing city walls, 8.3 meters in height, 10 meters in thickness and
10.5 kilometers in length, were built in 1644. In the city there are
places of historic interest, including more than 700 tombs of the Chu
State nobles and ruins of the Three Kingdoms. |
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Wanshou Pagoda |
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Wanshou Pagoda (Longevity Pagoda)
Located in Shashi City, the
Wanshou Pagoda started to be built in 1548, and construction lasted
until 1552. The pagoda is of brick structure, octagonal in shape
with seven stories. It is 40 meters high on a giant base of rock.
The outside of each floor is decorated with white marble carved with
Buddha images in 94 shrines. The bricks of the pagoda are also
carved with large numbers of Buddha.
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Yellow Crane Tower |
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Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan
Located on top of
the Snake Mountain in Wuhan City, the Yellow Crane Tower was built
1,700 years ago (223 AD) during the Three Kingdoms Period. It is the
most famous tower among the three well-known towers (the Yellow Crane
Tower, Yueyang Tower and Tenwang Pavilion) in south of the lower
reaches of the Yangtze River. The Yellow Crane Tower has been crowned
with unrivaled scenery under heaven. The Tower used to be of complete
wood structure. Destroyed many times by fire, the tower was rebuilt
several times. Complete renovation of the tower began in 1981, and was
completed and open to public in 1985. The design of the new tower was
modeled on its last design of the Qing Dynasty. The 5-storied tower is
51.4 meters in height with layers of flying eaves, yellow tiles and
columns painted red. The interior of the tower is decorated in the
classical Chinese style. To facilitate tourists, the tower is now
equipped with elevators and air-conditioning. |
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China Bells |
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The Chimes of Marquis Yi
In the summer of 1978, a set of chimes,
consisting of 64 pieces, were unearthed from the tomb of Marquis Yi of
the State of Zeng (430 BC) in Suixian County. These chimes were
arranged in 8 groups in three different rows. On the surface of the
chimes were engraved with 2,800 Chinese characters on music, the
earliest record ever found in the world. The chimes now are able to
perform music that is pleasant to the ear. This set of chimes is
unique both in the history of music, but also in the history of bronze
casting. The chimes are now on display in the Museum of Hubei
province. |
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Information provided by
China National
Tourism Administration. |
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