The Qutang Gorge Guide

As you travel downstream, Qutang Gorge is the first of the three gorges of the Yangtze River. It starts at Baidi City, Fengjie County in the west and ends in the Daxi Town, Wushan County in the east, with a total length of about eight kilometers. Being the shortest and also the narrowest of the three gorges, Qutang Gorge is rightly famous for its steepness and overall magnificence. Known as the "throat" between Sichuan and Hubei provinces, the widest point here measures only 150 meters wide, while the mountains along it reach as high as 1,200 meters. This combination of narrow canyons among high mountains with several switchbacks is often considered the most beautiful of all.

When you travel to Qutang Gorge, you will find uniquely beautiful natural formations greeting you from every direction. The many and varied attractions along Qutang Gorge are situated in close proximity, making it simple for travelers to visit the all. Such attractions include Baidi City with its many cultural relics, the breathtaking ancient plank road, the Seven Gate Cave, the Bellows Gorge, and the Rhinoceros Watching the Moon. When your boat travels to the county seat of Wushan wedged between Qutang Gorge and Wuxia Gorge, you may get off there and take a side trip upstream on the Daning River, where you will feel more peaceful to the unique travel experience.

After the damming of the Yangtze River for the Three Gorges Dam Project, great changes took place in Qutang Gorge, some historic relics along the two banks have been submerged in the water. The rising water line has impacted some travel sights, and a few spots are now under water never to be seen again but many relics and sites have been moved and relocated. As a result, the unique image of a smooth lake rising in the narrow gorge now appears. However, the changed landform is endowed with even more travel potential since great efforts are being made to explore and open new sights by the government.

• The Xiling Gorge
• The Wu Gorge
• The Qutang Gorge
• White King Town
• Shibaozhai
• Three Gorges Dam
• The Ghost City of Fengdu
• Shennong Stream
• The Yangtze River
• Wanxian County