Travel Along The Yangtze River |
Wu Gorge |
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Qutang Gorge |
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Yueyang
international
Dragon
Boat Festival |
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Qu yuan's
hometown |
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Daning river |
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Yellow Crane
Tower |
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Baidi Town |
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The Yangtze River is the longest river in China, as well as the third longest river in the world. The river takes its source from Geladandong ice-covered
mountains, the highest peak in Tanggula Mountain Range located in Qing-Zang Plateau. It runs eastward through numerous valleys and vast plains, gathering thousands of small rivers and streams till it reaches the sea. From Chongqing City in Sichuan Province to Yichang City in Hubei Province, the Yangtze River runs its way through the mounttttains and roars downward along deep valleys with precipitous cliffs on both sides, evolving a specific and magnificent scenery of Three Gorges, which consists of Qutang Gorge,Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. That area was the territory of Ba state during Shang and Zhou Dynasties, then became the territory of Han Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms Epoch, so many scenic spots and historical sites can be found everywhere along the Three Gorges. Some wellknown ancient eminent writers and poets, such as Qu Yuan, Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Lu You, Su Shi, and others used to travel or live in The Three Gorges and left a lot of great essays and poems which have won universal praises.The Three Gorges attracts many visitors every year, especially these few years, for the great dam of water conservancy project will be set up at the Three Gorges and some of the natural sceneries and historical sites will be submerged or removed.
Fengjie city has been a must visiting place with its well-known historical sites and entrance to the Tree Gorges when sailing downstream from Chongqing city. Baidi city is located on the Baidi Hill at northern side of the Yangtze River where the River is running into the Qutang Gorge, holding the post of eastern pass of Sichuan Province. Du Fu, one of the poets in Tanng Dynasty, wrote "Baidi town lies above the Three Gorges" showing its imposing and important position. The city is well known also by the story that the city is the place where Liu Bei, king of Shu state in Three Kingdoms period,entrusted his only son to Zhuge Liang, his prime minister, before dead. When visiting the city, visitors can not only enjoy its magnificence but also recall the loyalty history of Han Dynasty of Three Kingdoms period.
Kuimen, the entrance of Qutang Gorge, is located at the east of Baidi city, where Mt. Chijia and Mt. Baiyan stand on the both sides of the River as a halfopened gate and narrow the valley abruptly. The river is forced to pour into this gate and becomes turbulent current, making deafening noise and seething waves. Sailing along the Gorge, one can see ranges of pesks straightly erected on the riversides like great walls. The feeling of visitors sometimees rises as high as peaks and sometimes falls as low as deep valleys.
The nature may know the thrilling experience should be followed with soothing feeling. To the east of Qutang Gorge and before running into Wu Gorge, another river, named Daning River, runs to the south and pours itself into the Yangtze River. Though the size of Daning River is shorter, narrower and less water volume than that of the Yangtze River and the peaks on its sides are much lower, Daning River prevails over the Yangtze River by its deep and serene and graceful scenery, where all peaks are cliffs and surface of warer is smooth as mirror, the monkey cries could be heard from far away and mandarin ducks could be seen swimming in water. The river twists and turns with green bamboo forests and brown rocks on its sides. A verse praises its beauty and sings, "a drop of water could not seen again when joining in the sea, a gorge would be worth nothing after seeing Daning river." The river really has specific fascination.
If we regard Qutang Gorge as a grand gate, Wu Gorge, the second one of the Three Gorges, is like a tortuous gallery, along which the twelve marvelous peaks tower on Wu Mountains, six lie on the south side of the River and other six on the north side. Qingshi Town in the Gorge is the best place to see the whole view of the peaks. The peaks are over 2,000 metres above the river level with various graceful postures. The ancient scholars wrote verses:"step on Jingtan(the first peak) to visit Jixian (the second peak),deep in Zhaoyun(the third peak) links Qiyun(the fourth peak); Stand on Shangsheng (the fifth peak)to watch Wangxia(the sixth peak), the moon sheds its light on Songluan (the seventh peak)to wait for Juhe(the eighth peak) back home; Just have seen words pop out from Denglong (the ninth peak),then enjoy the performance of Feifeng (the tenth peak) fluttering in the sunny sky; The green forests of Cuiping (the eleventh peak) on both sides are whistling by wind, it must be the signal for the friends' gathering to drink the water of Shengquan (the twelfth peak)."The Wangxia Peak, also called Goddess Peak, has the shape of a person, like a rocky girl the first one who welcomes the rosy dawn and last one sees the sunset.
Out of Wu Gorge lies Zigui county in Hubei province, where is the birthplace of Qu Yuan, a great patriotic poet and statesman in Warring Statrres period. Qu Yuan was gifted person and good at learning and conducting state affairs. He was exiled twice because of being framed by his rivals and drowned himself in Miluo river, Hunan province when his state was annexed by Qin State. He left some immortal verses, such as Lisao, Nine Verses, Nine Proses, etc. It is said that after his death, his younger sister, Qu Mogu, cried all day llong, which moved the fish deity in River who sent the body of Qu Yuan back to Zigui. Now most of the historical sites in Zigui county relate to Qu Yuan,even the name of the county is got from the legend which is about Qu Yuan's elder sister rushed back home to have farewell for her brother when he was exiled.
Xiling Gorge is the last one of the Three Gorges. It is said that Zhuge Liang passed the gorge and left his self-compiled martial work on one of the cliffs with his sword to the followers who must have strong wills. Sailing along the gorge, visitors may in poetic mood by enjoying the sceneries of Niugan Mafei Gorge, Dengying Ggorge, Huangling Temple and Sanyou Cave, and with this mood, they sail along the River. Then they go to Yueyang Tower built by the side of Ddongting Lake in Hunan province, where they enjoy the writings of some ancient scholars, such as Lu Su, Du Fu and Fan Zhongyan . They at last arrive at Huanghe Tower located on She Hill in Wuhan City, Hubei province. Now the travel along the Yangtze River through the Three Gorges from Chongqing City to Wuhan City may end, but may start again. If you continue to sail, you will reach Lu Mountain, another well-known natural scene and historical site on the side of the Yangtze River in Jiangxi province. Ending may mean starting of another one. There are many more sceneries along the River awaiting people to discover and enjoy. |
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