A magnificent scene in Xiling Gorge, Yangtze River, China
The longest among the Yangtze River Gorges, the 76-kilometer-long Xiling Gorge (西陵峡) stretches west to east from the mouth of the Xiangxi River (香溪河) at Zigui (秭归县, the hometown of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan) in Hubei Province to Nanjin Pass (南津关) near the city of Yichang. It is divided into two sections – the west section consists of the Military Book and Treasure Sword Gorge, the Bull’s Liver and Horse’s Lung Gorge and Kongling Mountain Gorge, while the east section features the Shadow Play Gorge and the Yellow Cat Gorge, which also known as Yichang Gorge. There are many archeological sites along this gorge, including the Huangling Temple, first built during the Three Kingdoms (220 AD – 280 AD). Additionally, the Three Visitors’ Cave and the Luyou Fountain all have their unique features.
Xiling Gorge is known for dangerous rapids and numerous shoals, the latter include Qingtan, Kongling and Xietan shoals. These formed out of fallen rocks from banks, boulders and sand washed down from the upper reaches, veins protruding from the riverbanks, or reefs jutting out of the riverbed. At some points there are treacherous whirlpools and the waters are extraordinarily turbulent. In the past, shipwrecks often happened. In the north of Qingtan Shoal, a small tower called White Bones, in which collects the bodies of dead sailors.
However, after many years of water management works and the completion of the Gezhouba Water Conservancy Project, the devilish rapids have been greatly tamed, but the beautiful scenery still.
The oddity of Bull's Liver and Horse's Lung Gorge, China
Not far to the east of the Military Book and Treasure Sword Gorge, a rocky cliff stands on the northern bank of the river with two stones in deep yellow color, of which one looks like a bull’s liver while another is like a horse’s lung, so it got the weird name – Bull’s Liver and Horse’s Lung Gorge. They are stalactites formed by calcium carbonate that underground water contains. Today the bull’s liver is still intact but the lower part of the horse’s lung has been destroyed by invading British navy in 1900.
The Shadow Play Gorge is clean, smooth on its cliff surface and without any bad-looking color, with fountains that crystal water flies down the cliff. It will be an overwhelming scene at a moonlit night to pass the gorge, the full moon shines the cliff and water, and they reflect the silvery lights. The Shadow Play Gorge is nicknamed “Full Moon Gorge”.
A large piece of stone that looks like an image of a man who is dragging an ox, so that the rock is called Ox Hill and the gorge gets the same name. The Ox Gorge is also has fast flowing water with dangerous reefs. In the past, boats were sailing very slowly to avoid accidents. After sailing for a few days, the sailors still could see the Ox Hill behind.
Xiling Gorge, Yangtze River, China
The Ox Gorge is in the valley with a division of cragged cliffs, which see the rapid-flowing water below. Nine falling ridges are going down from the cliffs to the water just like nine majestic dragons powerfully jumping into the water. Unlike the Shadow Play Gorge, the mountains along the Ox Gorge are very tall with rugged rock patterns. Fish and insect fossils found testify the million years’ geographical and ecological changes in the Three Gorges area.
The 5-kilometer-long Military Book and Treasure Sword Gorge is located in the western section of Xiling Gorge, Zigui County in Hubei Province. It has a very narrow waterway that the width is about 100 meters. It is said that Zhuge Liang, a legendary wise man from the Three Kingdoms Period, collected a book about military, under which a giant piece of stone that looked like a sword interposed the water.
Kongling Mountain Gorge (崆岭峡) is on the border of Zigui and Yichang Counties, with a dangerous shoal. Kong means a boat with windows. The rapids are deadly in this section, much sinisterly than the Qingtan Shoal, and heavy ships can hardly pass through.
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