Yangtze River Port Calls

Information of Yangtze River Port Calls (Downstream: Sail from Chongqing to Wuhan)

Chongqing Port Calls >> Fengdu Port Calls >> Shibaozhai Port Calls >> Wanxian Port Calls >> Lesser Three Gorges >> Shennong Stream >> Yangtze Three Gorges >> The Three Gorges Dam >> Yichang Port >> Wuhan Port

Yangtze River Map

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Chongqing Port Calls

Chongqing, also called Chungking, is one of the autonomous municipalities located in southwestern China. Chongqing is situated on a rocky peninsula at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. It is a major inland port of China and the leading commercial, transportation, and industrial center in the southwest of China. On March 14, 1997, the Chinese government decided to make the city of Chongqing, originally included as a part of Sichuan province, a municipality directly under the central government. Chongqing is endowed with long history, brilliant culture, mighty mountain, well-known scenic spots, historic relics and magnificent landscapes.

Fengdu Port Calls

Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, Fengdu is 107 miles from Chongqing and 296 miles from Yichang. It is usually arranged as the first shore excursion for down stream Yangtze Cruise. Fengdu County is also called "a ghost city" with temples constructed on the Mingshan Hill by the river bank and many statues of ghosts and devils molded in the temples. According to legends, it is considered as a hell where man's soul goes after his death.

Fengdu became known as Ghost City since the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when two officials from the Imperial court married and settled on Mt. Minshan just outside the city. Their surnames, Yin and Wang, sound like King of Hell in Chinese.

Shibaozhai Port Calls

The word "Shibaozhai" means Stone Treasure Fortress in Chinese. Actually Shibaozhai is a 12-storey wooden pagoda built against the side of a sheer rectangular cliff. And every floor of the wooden structure contains interesting artifacts. Each of the 12 floors of Shibaozhai is dedicated to a famous general of the Three Kingdoms period (220-265AD), a local scholar or a renowned Chinese poet. Located at the south bank of the Yangtze River, Shibaozhai has gained the made of "Pearl of the Yangtze".

Wanxian Port Calls

Wanxian City is guarded by two nine-storeyed pagodas for good fortune. Located along the Yangtze River, Wanxian is endowed with resourceful natural scenery and beautiful landscape. Most famous attractions include Taibaiyan Natural Reserve, Black Dragon Waterfall, Emperor Tower, etc. The city is known as the "Gateway to the Eastern Sichuan Province" and has served as an important port since ancient times. Wanxian has a number of silk-weaving and spinning factories supported by intense silkworm cultivation. The county is also famed for its orange and tangerine crops.

Fengjie Port Calls

Fengjie is a famous county with a history of over 2,000 years. The county is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River in the east of Chongqing. Fengjie County lies at the western end of the Yangtze Three Gorges, right at the entrance of Qutang Gorge. The Yangtze River flows to its east, and Meixi River and Caotang River flow into the Yangtze from its northern part. Chijia and Baiyan are two mountains that stand on each side of the river. There are 13 nationalities among the residents in Fengjie, including Han, Hui and Tujia and other Minority Nationalities.

Lesser Three Gorges

As one of the highlights along the Yangtze Three Gorges, the Lesser Three Gorges refers to the three separate valleys of the Daning River, namely "Dragon-Gate Gorge", "Misty Gorge" and "Dicui (Emerald) Gorge". The three gorges are located on the lower reaches of Daning, covering an area of 160 hectares of forest. The Lesser Three Gorges are famous for its natural landscape with "subtle mountains, clear waters, pretty rocks, dangerous rapids, sharp turns, fantastic caves, and stalactites in various shapes". Tourists can take a small boat to enjoy these extremely marvelous spectacles of nature.

Shennong Stream

Shennong Stream is a nature reserve with wild and unspoiled scenery. The 60-kilometer Shennong Stream originates from the southern part of the Shennongjia Reserve. The stream flows north to south through deep gorges and finally merges with the Yangtze at the mouth of the Wu Gorge. The crystal clear water flows very swiftly. A tour by sampan will give you an idea of just how powerful the current is in this rapid stream. In recent years, Shennong Stream has also gained fame as the home of a mysterious "wild man", a Chinese Bigfoot. Sightings suggest that the creature is very tall, has red hair and leaves only footprints and chewed corn cobs in his wake. Rumors abound and stories of the "wild man" have only added to the appeal of this remote area.

Yangtze Three Gorges

As the most spectacular attraction along the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges is primarily famous for its stunning scenic beauty. With Baidi City, Fengjie in Chongqing Municipality to the west end and Nanjin Pass of Yichang in the Hubei province at the east, the Three Gorges is 192 km long in total including Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorge. The Qutang Gorge, known for its magnificence, is only 8 km long. Wu Gorge, 44 km long, is famed for its deep valley and quiet beauty. Among the twelve peaks, the Goddess Peak is the most exquisite. Xiling Gorge, extending 66 km in length and full of turbulent currents and whirlpools, is one of the most dangerous shoals.

The Three Gorges Dam

The Yangtze River meanders over 6,300 kilometers from its source to its estuary. Its annual runoff into the sea amounts to nearly 1,000 billion cubic meters and its total drop is more than 5,800 meters with a hydroelectric power potential of up to 268 million kilowatt. Ssince the founding of the People's Republic of China, extensive efforts in survey, planning and scientific research have been made in order to harness the River and develop its resources. After overall planning, repeated studies and verifications, the conclusion has been reached that the TGP (Three Gorges Project) is the key to the comprehensive control of the floods and exploitation of the resources of the Yangtze River.

The dam site is 27 miles upstream from Yichang City proper, at Sandouping Town, 38km upstream from the Gezhouba Dam Lock, inside the third of the Three Gorges. With a size of 2 miles long and 607 feet high, the Three Gorges Project (or Three Gorges Dam), will hold 36 billion cubic yards of water It is also the world's largest hydropower project and water conservation project. A big lake will appear in the Three Gorges, covering 418 square miles and stretches for 373 miles, with annual output of electricity 84.7 kilowatt hours. The whole Three Gorges Project will take 17 years to build since 1993 and is due to be finished in 2009.

Yichang Port

Yichang City is located in the west of Hubei Province. Yichang is located at the junction where the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River are divided.

Yichang has been defined as an important trading port and transportation hub along the Yangtze River, linking west Hubei and east Sichuan. The city of Yichang has been renown as 'Gateway to the Three Gorges', and 'Throat between Sichuan and Hubei' since ancient times. With easy excess to Chongqing City, Yichang remains a brisk river port of China today.

Wuhan Port

Wuhan, means 'Valiant Chinese' in Chinese. As the provincial capital of Hubei Province, the city is the fifth largest city of China. Wuhan is a major industrial complex and inland port at the confluence of the Han and Yangtze rivers. The port is accessible to oceangoing vessels. Wuhan was formed in 1950 when three cities--Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang--were combined into one administrative unit. The name is an abbreviation for the cities, which retained their individual identities. Hankou is the commercial center and largest of the three cities, lying west of the Yangtze and north of the Han River. Hanyang, the smallest of the three, lies west of the Yangtze and south of the Han River. Wuchang, the administrative and educational center and provincial capital, is located on the eastern bank of the Yangtze. Wuhan is China's traditional base of manufacture industry, also one of the origins for China's modern industry.