The Three Gorges

The Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges run about two hundred kilometres of the Yangtze between Chongqing and Yichang, cliffs rising steeply from the river in a passage that has been described in Chinese poetry for two thousand years. The Three Gorges Dam raised the water level by up to a hundred and seventy-five metres, drowning towns, archaeological sites and the lower cliffs and displacing more than a million people; the gorges remain impressive but less sheer than before, and travellers who saw them earlier describe a real loss. Cruises stop at the Lesser Three Gorges on the Daning river, Shibaozhai's twelve-storey timber pavilion, and the White Emperor City above Qutang.

What you actually see

• Qutang Gorge - the shortest and steepest, printed on the ten yuan note.
• The Lesser Three Gorges - narrower side canyons entered by smaller boats.
• Shibaozhai - the red twelve-storey pavilion against a cliff, now on an island.
• White Emperor City - the hilltop town above the entrance to Qutang.

When to go

April to June and September to November; summer is hot and hazy, winter cool with low cloud. Water levels vary by season with dam management, higher in winter and lower in summer flood season.

Honest expectations

The dam raised the water and reduced the drama of the cliffs; expectations set by pre-2003 photographs will not be met. Cruises vary enormously in quality and price, and cheaper domestic boats differ substantially from international ones. Haze often limits views.

Nearby

The Three Gorges Dam is at Yichang; Chongqing lies upstream.