Top Yichang Attractions: Sightseeing in Yichang & Yangtze River

Three Gorges Dam is a world-class engineering marvel and the world's largest hydroelectric plant of 2335m long and185m high. Located in the Xiling Gorge, the dam controls an expansive drainage area of 1 million square kilometers serving the use of both flood control and power generation. Besides the marvelous dam, the area also offers unique experiences for visitors as the ship you take ascends 113m vertically via the world's largest and most technologically advanced Three Gorges Ship Lift, or sails through the largest ship locks globally - Three Gorges Dam Five-Stages Ship Locks.

Recommended Visiting Time: 2.5 - 3 hours

The Tribe of Three Gorges nestled along the Yangtze River boasts primitive and tranquil scenery and rich Tujia Ethnic culture in Ba and Shu region. Surrounded by lush mountains and beautiful water, the tribe is appealing like a painting. Here you can also see young women dance and sing in traditional local style as old sailboats moor placidly below stilt houses hidden in the bamboo groves; maidens wash clothes by the brook; fishermen cast nets in the misty distance…

Recommended Visiting Time: 2 - 3 hours

Among the 193km-long Three Gorges - the Yangtze River's most majestic part, Xiling Gorge, is in Yichang. Stretching about 120 kilometers, it is the longest among all the three gorges and also the most beautiful one, reputed as the “painting gallery of mountains and waterscape”. It's known for its rugged shoals and turbulent waters historically. Now tourists can hardly see the billowy waves, but the beautiful landscape and historical sites will let you forget the worries and linger.

Recommended Visiting Time: 4 - 5 days (Three Gorges) by Yangtze River Cruise

Quyuan Temple was built to commemorate Qu Yuan, a great patriotic poet and statesman in Chinese history, who was honored as one of the World Famous Cultural People in 1953 by UNESCO. It provides a unique venue to explore not only his life's narrative but also the rich Chu Culture during about 340 BC - 278 BC. The temple is nestled against mountains and faces the Three Gorges Dam, making it a perfect place to view a panorama of this grand and majestic engineering marvel.

Recommended Visiting Time: 2 - 3 hours

Yichang Museum is a national first-class comprehensive museum in China. It features a diverse range of themes such as the evolution of Xiling during the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, Ba Culture, Chu Culture, Three Gorges culture, recent Yichang advancement, etc. Since its construction in 1980, Yichang Museum has a collection of about 58,732 pieces of cultural relics including 1,632 valuable artifacts, with 10 exhibition halls open to visitors. The precious collections are Chuji Bell with Bronze Handles, Gold Bronze Bear, Qin-Emperor Beiming Bell...

Recommended Visiting Time: 1 - 2 hours

Location: West of Qiusuo Square, Bolinhe Road, Wujiagang District; 11km from the city center

Sanyou Cave (Cave of Three Travelers) provides visitors with an experience of both sightseeing and a profound exploration into literature and culture. It was named after visits by three renowned poets - Bai Juyi, Bai Xingjian and Yuan Zhen in the Tang Dynasty (705 - 907 AD), as well as by the Su Shi family in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD). The cave is a limestone of about 30m deep, 23m wide and 9m high with many stalagmites inside. Over 40 stone tablets, carved with poems and prose by famous poets who have toured this area, are embedded on these stalagmites.

Out of the cave sits Fangweng Cliffside Restaurant, one of the nine famous cave restaurants globally, with a modern design inside. Diners can overlook the magnificent views of Xiling Gorges while savoring local Yichang Yangtze River fish, Sanyou Fairy Chicken, etc.

Recommended Visiting Time: 2 hours

Location: No. 8, Nanjingguan Road, Xiling District; 38km from the city center

Three Gorges Immigration Museum is established to record the significant events of resettlement work for the Three Gorges Dam Project and to honor the contributions of the local people. Using multimedia and interactive exhibits, the museum immerses visitors in history with vivid details. It comprises two groups, each with its own themes - “Homeland” and “New Home”. The “Homeland” area submerged in river water illuminated with dim lights makes visitors feel like in a dream, while the “New Home” area full of light recreates the difficulties and expectations of the immigration process.

Recommended Visiting Time: 1 - 2 hours

Location: Maoping Town, Zigui County; 60km from the city center

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