Archive for category Three Gorges
Three Gorges Museum
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 15th, 2009
Night scene of the Three Gorges Museum
The Three Gorges Museum is in the western part of Chongqing People’s Hall, also called Chongqing Museum. It is public premises for the long-term preservation, history education and scientific research in respect of cultural relics and the natural environment of Chongqing and the Three Gorges. The exterior of the museum has cambered walls and vitreous dome, representing the historical culture of Three Gorges and their origins. In addition, there are large-scale bas-reliefs, bronze sculptures and the Ecological Corridor that is one kilometer in length (about 1,094 yards).
The museum is a part of the huge project of the Three Gorges Dam, where there are 1,087 relic sites to be submerged in water. China’s 68 scientific institutions have been excavating heritage and researching the sites in the Three Gorges area for ten years. They have successfully completed 338 archeological projects and made many discoveries. All the invaluable relics are carefully moved to the exhibition halls in the Three Gorges Museum. The staffs in the museum compiled and categorized these archeological discoveries, and then made volumes of catalogue for the convenience of scientific research and public easy access.
The Splendid Three Gorges reflects the history and culture in the area, Far-Ancient Ba Yu introduces the origin of local history, The Urban Development of Chongqing demonstrates the transitional process of Chongqing and Anti-Japanese Days tells the stories occurred during the war in China between 1937 and 1945.
Sculptures of ancient Yangtze people
There also are other six specialized exhibitions, Paintings and Calligraphies in Different Historical Periods, The Currencies in Different Periods of Chia, The Sculpture in Han Dynasty, Cultural Relics Donated by Mr. Li Chuli, Minority Nationality Custom in Southwest China, and Ceramics in Different Periods of China. The Three Gorges Museum has the Round-screen Cinema that shows the natural landscape and people’s daily life in the Three Gorges area before the construction of the dam. The Semi-scene picture “Big Bombing in Chongqing” represents the five years’ continuous bombing in Chongqing as the temporary capital of China during World War II. The museum equips an International Academic Hall, an Audience Activities Center and three temporary Exhibition Halls that enriching functions for social service as well.
Three Gorges Dam Tour
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 15th, 2009
Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest and grandest water conservancy project. Many parts of it have broken through the world record. The effectiveness of water control is also most notable in the world. The Three Gorges Dam does well in controlling flooding from the upper reaches of Yangtze River. It enhances the capacity of flood fighting. The Three Gorges Dam is an unparalleled power plant in the world nowadays. It is also used for shipping, tourism and ecological protection, environmental purification, irrigation and south-to-north water transfer.
After the dam’s completion, a large sized reservoir, actually 600 kilometers in length, is seen. It is a rare to see scene on our planet. There were four periods to accumulate water in the Three Gorges Area. The first time the water was gone up 10 to 75 meters from the original level after cutting off the flowing of Yangtze River on November 8, 1997, no affect to all the sightseeing spots at that time. The level went up to 135 meters after the completion of second phrase project. Zhangfei Temple had been moved to other place but other tourist attractions were not affected. In 2006, the water was up again to 156 meters, rebuilding was needed for the tall gate of Qu Yuan Ancestral Temple. The whole Three Gorges Dam Project will be completed in 2009, Yangtze River will up to 175 meters from its original level, so that some of the precious stone carvings are needed to move, and Shibaozhai Village’s gate will be in 1.5-meter-deep water. It will be very interesting to see the Jade-seal Hill in the village that becomes a peak standing on the water.
Three Gorges Dam
As the grand reservoir has made the shipping conditions better on the river, travelers can easily and quickly to reach sightseeing spots around the Three Gorges area, such as the scenic Small Three Gorges and Shennong Stream.
The dedicated highway for the Three Gorges Project opened to service in 1996 with investment about 1 billion RMB. Forty percent of the 29-kilometer-long highway is bridges and tunnels, which they are counted 34 and 5 respectively. The longest tunnel is the Wooden Fish Trough, which is 3.6 kilometers. It had been the longest highway tunnel in China in 1990s. The Three Gorges Highway has been regarded as China’s highway museum.
Mt. Old Man Mao (毛公山, Mao Gong Shan) interestingly looks like the recumbent statue of Chairman Mao Zedong. The mountain consists of natural white stones.
Three Gorges Dam exhibition
The Office and Living Zone in the Three Gorges Area is with the four-star Three Gorges Dam Project Hotel, Exhibition of the Three Gorges Dam Project, Project Command Center, Environmental Park and a modernized residential community. In the future, the Three Gorges Area will become a National Forest Park, which combines the natural ecology and modernized engineering.
The Exhibition of the Three Gorges Dam Project was opened in 1992 with whole coverage of 6,600 square meters. The exhibition comprises the special zones of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, environmental protection, emigration, advancement of science and technology, power production, calligraphy and painting as well as photography.
Transportation
From Yichang, you may take bus route No. 3, 4, 9, 21 or 100, which will as far as opposite Pinghu Hotel (平湖大酒店), 80 Dongshan Avenue (东山大道), and then transfer to air-conditioned tour coach.
Take bus No. 4, 10, 21, 100 or 101 to get off at Ye Ming Zhu Zhuang Pan (Night Pearl), transfer to Three Gorges Dam Area Bus No. 8 to Sixth Sluice, and finally change to tourism circular bus to visit the dam. The tourism circular bus is in 20 minutes intervals. There are also electronic buses available for travel in the Flow Cutting off Area.
Admission: 105 RMB
Three Gorges Dam History
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 11th, 2009
Dr. Sun Yat-sen, leader of modern China, also the first to suggest to build the Three Gorges Dam.
After the end of the World War I in 1918, Dr. Sun Yat-sen hoped that Chinese people to use Western technologies and advanced facilities applied during the war to develop China’s infrastructure. In the following year, he wrote an article that suggested human improvements should be made for Yangtze River section from east to west, i.e., Yichang to Chongqing. To build a dam in order to make upstream ship travel much easier and to make use the vast water resources of Yangtze River, he wrote. In 1924, he reiterated his idea in Guangzhou and added that Yangtze River’s importance to China’s electricity power.
In 1930, the Nationalist government planned to build a hydropower station on Yangtze River and made efforts to research and collect information, but the surveying work had not yet been done. Two years later, the government managed to build two hydropower stations at Huangling Temple and Gezhouba in Xiling Gorge respectively. However, the big plan was just a paper draft.
In the final period of the Anti-Japanese War (1937 – 1945), the US imposed “Dollar Diplomacy” to China. In April 1944, the US government submitted a report to the Chinese government, asking it to build a water power station on Yangtze River by loaning 900 million US Dollars. The power station would provide 10 million kilowatts capacity and produce 5 million tons of chemical fertilizer annually. China would pay the debt by supplying fertilizer products to America.
John Lucian Sovage, a US dam expert, came to China, explored Yangtze River and Xiling Gorge. He suggested that the dam and the power station should be built in the area between Nanjin Pass and Shipai (Stone Tablet). In the following year, the Chinese government agreed with the Three Gorges proposal and further surveying work had been done.
Due to economical and political crisis in 1947, the government ordered to terminate the progress of the Three Gorges Dam project. The actual usage of powerful Yangtze River water for energy to the country had still been a dream in Chinese people’s minds.
Since 1950s, the new Chinese government has been concerning the possibility of building a giant dam and a big power station on the Mother River of China. Chairman Mao Zedong has visited the site many times. Premier Zhou Enlai often talked to the leading engineer who was in charge the research.
In the heat of the Cultural Revolution in early 1970s, Hubei provincial government and Wuhan Military Zone unanimously approved to build the Gezhouba Dam (Gezhouba Water Conservancy Project). The project had started in a hurry that the jobs of design, preparation and construction were done simultaneously. Thus, during the construction, many problems occurred. However, Gezhouba provided lots of practical experience to the later Three Gorges Dam project.
In summer of 1980, Deng Xiaoping as China’s Vice Premier and Vice Chairman of the Communist Party, went onboard a downstream boat from Chongqing to inspect the sites of Sandouping (三斗坪), Gezhouba and Jingjiang River Dam. When arrived in Wuhan, Deng convened a meeting attended by other leading officials to examine the future Three Gorges project. Government and scientists in mid-1980s had made further researches and schemes.
Jiang Zemin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party visited the same passage in 1989 as Deng Xiaoping did nine years ago. He was concerned about the flood prevention in middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River.
The Three Gorges Dam Project began on December 14, 1994 in Sandouping, Yichang. It is 38 kilometers to the west of the Gezhouba project. The dam with the largest water conservancy function has the giant sluice of world’s greatest flood discharge capacity. Over one million local people left their hometown due to the project. The project is generally divided into three periods. The first period is from 1993 to 1997; the second is from 1998 to 2003 and the third is from 2004 to 2009. The total investment for the whole project is 95.46 billion RMB.
The Three Gorges Dam picture taken from above
In May 2006, a 2,309-meter-long dam was completed. It is world’s largest cement-built dam, which its top is about 185 meters above sea level. After the completion of the project, the water level is up to 175 meters and the total water capacity is up to 39.3 billion cubic meters, with 18.2 million kilowatts per hour capacity, which is the strongest in the world hitherto.
Xiling Gorge
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 9th, 2009
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.
Wu Gorge
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 9th, 2009
- Wu Gorge, Yangtze River, China
When the river flows out of Qutang Gorge (瞿塘峡) and passes the broad valley of Daning River (大宁河), it enters the scenic Wu Gorge (巫峡), which extends west to east from the mouth of the Daning River in Wushan County, Chongqing Municipality, to Guandukou in Badong County, Hubei Province.
The 45-kilometer-long Wu Gorge is also known as the Big Gorge locally and is famous for its great deepness and serene beauty. The area is full of weird peaks, strange rocks and high cliffs as well as the long and winding waterway of Yangtze River with dreamingly misty air, all of which make it looks like a naturally painted landscape picture. It is the best scene among the Three Gorges of Yangtze River.
The Wushan’s twelve majestic and seemingly cloud-penetrating peaks erect on the southern and northern banks of Wu Gorge respectively. The white clouds are moving freely above the towering peaks. The shapes of the clouds will change from time to time, but they always have good looking.
- Sunrise in Wu Gorge
In addition to the weird peaks, Wu Gorge also Lu You Ancient Cave, the Platform for Goddess Gave Nine Heavenly Books to Da Yu, the relic site of the Goddess Temple and many others. Due to the deepness and length of the Wu Gorge area, the daily time for sunshine is very short and the moist air in the valley is always difficult to get out, so that fog is very easy to form. However, this adds beauty to the Wu Gorge. When the precious time of sunlight comes, the sunrays shine through the dense fog and white clouds, which will be, as some locals regarded, Buddhist holy halo.
Qutang Gorge
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 8th, 2009
Qutang Gorge, China
Qutang Gorge (瞿塘峡), also known as Kui Gorge (夔峡), runs eight kilometers from Baidi city in Fengjie County in the west to Daxizhen in Wushan County, Chongqing Municipality. Although this is the shortest gorge among the three, it is nevertheless the most spectacular. As soon as the roaring Yangtze River rushes into the gorge, it meets head-on with the imposing Kuimen Gate. Mountains rise perpendicularly like walls on both sides of the river squeezing the broad surface into a narrow ribbon threading its way along the gorge. Here the width of the river is reduced less than 200 meters and the narrowest spots are no more than a few dozen meters across while the principal peaks on the banks rise up to 1,500 meters. The turbulent water flowing in the deep valley, which has a continuous line of peaks erected along make for a spectacular vision.
Kuimen, Qutang Gorge, China
There are many historical sites in Qutang Gorge. On a hilltop of the north bank sits the town of Baidi city, where boasts of many rare relics. On the south bank are the pink Whitewashed Wall covered with carved inscriptions, the legendary Meng Liang’s Ladder, the Upside Down Monk, Amour Cave and the sweet-tasting Phoenix-Drinking Fountain in a deep cave. Also on the south bank, not far from downstream, is a very strange-looking peak standing by the river; it is called the Rhinoceros Watching the Moon because it looks like a rhinoceros. Moreover, outside the Qutang Gorge, there is the site of Da Xi Culture Heritage, where archeologists will find interesting.
The Three Gorges of Yangtze River
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 8th, 2009
- Three Gorges of Yangtze River, China
The Three Gorges of Yangtze River (Changjiang San Xia, 长江三峡) is an area stretching from Fengjie County in Chongqing Municipality to Yichang in Hubei Province, length of 205 kilometers. It has three world famous gorges – Qutang, Wu and Xiling (in Chinese 瞿塘峡, 巫峡 and 西陵峡 respectively).
High mountains and towering peaks are stood along the banks of Yangtze River. The peaks are generally height 1,000 to 1,500 meters above sea level. The narrowest section of water is less than 100 meters width. Historically, the upward motions of the earth crest and the water’s downward pressure had been so high, thus, the Three Gorges formed.
Today the water resources are very rich. The waterway in the area is quite narrow, long and winding, so that boats sailing here have to be very careful, especially during nighttime. The water is often turbulent too. The old Chinese saying, “see the rocks seem there is wayless, clouds up there means another sky” can properly describe the Three Gorges of Yangtze River, which is also one of the ten best sightseeing spots and the top of the 40 great tourist attractions in China. Chinese people call Qutang, Wu and Xiling collectively the Big Three Gorges, while call the ones in Daning River (大宁河) and Madu River (马渡河) the Small Three Gorges and Very Small Three Gorges respectively.
- Small Three Gorges, China
There are many attractions along the Three Gorges, of which the most famous are Fengdu the great ghost city in China, Shibaozhai in Zhong County, Zhangfei Temple in Yunyang, the must-see Three Gorges, the Small Three Gorges and the giant project of Three Gorges Dam. Generally, there are three routes to tour the area, first one is the itinerary starting from Chongqing Municipality, going downstream by boat to view the majestic scenery in a relatively hurried way. Second, start in Shanghai, Nanjing or Wuhan, and then go upstream slowly to see the attractions along the Yangtze River. Third, begin the tour in Yichang, discover the mystery of the beauty in the Three Gorges area, as well as appreciate the grandiose Qutang Gorge, the elegant Wu Gorge and the dangerous Xiling Gorge. Additionally, enriching the tour by going to Shennong Stream, Small Three Gorges and Xiangxi Stream, they are precious natural heritage.
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