Wu Gorge of Yangzte River

Wu Gorge is famous for its elegant beauty.
 More Wu Gorge Photos
The Wu Gorge is the second gorge of the Three Gorges of Yangtze River and is famous for its elegance. Winding over 25 miles, it starts from the estuary of Daning River (east of Wushan) in the west and ends at Guandukou in Badong, Hubei Province.

Also called Da Xia (Large Gorge), it is comprised of Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge (Jinkui Yinjia Xia) and Iron Coffin Gorge. As strange peaks, grotesque rocks as well as fog and clouds surround the gorge, it is usually the most notable.

Because of the long and deep canyons here, the daily period of sunlight is short which impedes the dispersal of air borne moisture within the gorge and so creates clouds and fog in a variety of fantastic shapes. How wonderful it is!
Yangtze Wu Gorge Map
Yangtze Wu Gorge Map
(Click the map to enlarge it, or go for more Yangtze River Maps)

Twelve Peaks

Along the Wu Gorge, there are twelve peaks on each bank. These are the most prominent aspects of the scenery of Wu Gorge. Many legends relate to the twelve peaks. The six peaks along the northern bank are Denglong (Climbing Dragon) Peak, Shengquan (Sage Spring) Peak, Zhaoyun (Facing Clouds) Peak, Shennu (Goddess) Peak, Songluan (Fir Tree Cone) Peak, and the Jixian (Congregated Immortals) Peak. The southern bank has Feifeng (Flying Phoenix) Peak, Cuiping (Misty Screen) Peak, Juhe (Assembled Cranes) Peak, Jingtan (Clean Altar) Peak, Qiyun (Rising Cloud) Peak, and Shangsheng (Rising) Peak; the last three are not at the riverside. Among the twelve, the Goddess Peak is the highest and most notable. As it is the first peak to welcome the sun's glow and says farewell to its afterglow, it is also called Wangxia Peak (Looking at the Sunglow peak). There are some popular legends relating to it that are worth knowing.
 

Three Little Gorges of Daning River

The beautiful view in Wu GorgeDaning River flows into the Yangtze River from the western mouth of Wu Gorge. It is the largest tributary of the Yangtze. The Three Little Gorges located at the lower reaches of Daning River are worth a visit by tourists. When drifting along the Three Little Gorges, historic relics such as the ancient plank road, suspended coffins, and the boat coffins can be viewed.

Also in the Wu Gorge Section, there is the historic relic - Kongming Stele. The stele is beneath the Jixian Peak. On the quadrate white cliff, six characters have been carved. According to legend, the characters are those of Zhuge Liang's handwriting (a celebrity of Three Kingdoms Period).

As the water level rises due to the Three Gorges Dam Project, more scenes in the Wu Gorge will be explored as attractions for tourists to visit.
 

Sightseeing List:

 Three Little Gorges
Ancient Plank Road along Daning River
Luyou Cavern
Longgupo Pithecanthrope Site
Wushan Man
Suspended Coffin & Boat Coffin
Dachang Ancient Town
Little Three Gorges of Madu River
 Goddess Peak (Shen Nu Feng)
 Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge (Jinkui Yinjia Xia)
- Last updated on Apr. 19, 2021 -
Questions & Answers on Wu Gorge of Yangzte River
Asked by Phu Tran from AUSTRALIA | Dec. 16, 2019 02:54Reply
Buses from Fengjie to Wushan, from Wushan to Badong, and from Badong to Yichang
I will travel by bus from Chongqing to Fengjie. I wish to know whether it would be possible for me to continue my travel by bus from Fengjie to Wushan (on a separate day), then by bus from Wushan to Badong, and finally from Badong to Yichang. If buses are available can I board the bus on the day of travel or do I need to reserve a ticket?
Answers (2)
Answered by Veromca from UKRAINE | Dec. 16, 2019 22:17
00Reply


From Fengjie to Wushan: Take a coach from Fengjie General Coach Station. The bus schedules are 07:40, 08:50, 09:50, 11:00, 12:40, 14:00, 15:30 and 17:00. The duration is around an hour. The ticket fare is CNY25 per person.
From Wushan to Badong: Take a coach from Cuiping Coach Station. They depart at 09:20 and 14:10. It costs CNY60 per person.
From Badong to Yichang: There are two coaches from Yesanguan Coach Station (17:00) and Jubaopen Coach Station (18:00).

I am afraid that you need to buy the tickets when you arriving at the coach station.
Answered by Phu Tran from AUSTRALIA | Dec. 16, 2019 22:47
00Reply


Thanks Veromca for your very helpful answer – much appreciated.
I understand from your answer that I wouldn’t need to buy tickets before the day of travel, but I just need to buy the tickets on the day of travel at the coach stations.
Asked by Thomas from CHINA | Apr. 24, 2013 01:38Reply
How to get to the little three gorges?
We are planning to take a hydrofoil boat from Yichang to Wushan, stay 1 night, then continue to Wanzhou and by bus to Chongqing.

or alternatively from Yichang to Wushan by boat, visit the three little gorges, continue to Wanzhou by boat, stay 1 night, then continue to Chongqing (by bus).

Does this sound realistic? Which assistance can you provide?

Thank you
Answers (5)
Answered by David from USA | Apr. 24, 2013 23:02
00Reply


It is a good plan.
It is suggested to take a hydrofoil boat, which is fast and comfortable. Then you can travel to Little Three Gorges. The next day, you can take another boat for Wanzhou to take bus for Chongqing.
Answered by Thomas from CHINA | Apr. 25, 2013 00:02
00Reply


Thanks David,

do you happen to know whether foreigners can find a hotel in Wushan?
Answered by David | Apr. 25, 2013 04:47
00Reply


I think you can live in Hongdu Hotel.
Answered by Thomas from CHINA | May. 07, 2013 19:41
00Reply


Hi,

we made the trip with a hydrofoil to Wushan. However, there is no fast boat from Wushan to Wanzhou it seems. We ended up taking the bus from Wushan to Chongqing which was actually quite interesting due to the newly built highway with good views from spectacular bridges.

The hydrofoil from Yichang to Wushan actually departs after the dam. A bus takes you from Yichang to where the hydrofoil departs, ie you don't see much of the dam that way.
Answered by PC from HK | May. 07, 2013 20:05
01Reply


Oh, Thomas, thanks for sharing with us your trip and I plan to go there next month and thought it is useful for you.
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