Three Gorges

Natural Features

The Three Gorges have showed the magic workings of nature with their marvelous and beautiful mountains and waters. The grotesque peaks and rocks on the two sides of the Three Gorges are accounting the great changes taking place in the region in the past billion years，and the variegated wracks of lives sleeping deep between the rock layers are narrating the history of the evolvement of lives during the past hundreds of millions of years.How many visitors have been attraded here by the charming thou-sand-year-long history of the region，the great ancient relics of human civilization，and the mysterious folk tales!Sandwiched between the mountains on the mid part of the Yangtze River，the Three Gorges runs across Fengjie and Wushan Mountain in Sichuan Province and Badong，Zigui，and Yichang in Hubei Province，extending 193 kilometers tong to include Qutang Gorge，Wuxia Gorge，and Xiling Gorge.City of White Emperor in Fengjie is the vital passage of the west part of the Three Gorges. Nanjinguan in Yichang is the important gateway of the east part. Along the banks of the Yangtze River，the high peaks rise in emerald verdure overhanging rocks tower into the clouds，dangerous cliffs seem to reach the sky，rocks are jagged and grotesque,waterfalls are spraying and sparkling，clouds and mists are curling，rapids and torrents are seething，and fierce waves are deep，serene and exquisite.

Currently the Three Gorges region is most famous for the Three Gorges Dam.The Three gorges Dam is under construction at a place called Sandouping in the middle of the Xiling Gorge. The dam is not yet complete，but the construction has already cut off the flow of the river，and therefore the water level in the Qutang，Wuxia，and the western portion of the Xiling gorges has already begun to rise. In addition to the impact of the dam on the ecology and people(i. e. the mass relocation of towns and villages)of the region，the dam will also change the scenery of the Three Gorges. Because the water level will be higher，the gorges will be less narrow and the mountains will appear lower. Proponents of the dam point out that because the mountains reach several thousand feet above the river，the gorges are still likely to offer spectacular views of the surrounding cliffs，and it should be noted that most riverboat companies that operate in the three Gorges intend to continue to offer tours of the region. The increase in width of the Gorges will also allow larger ships through the gorges and it is anticipated that river traffic of all kinds will increase.