Lesser Three Gorges

Wushan Lesser Three Gorges consists of Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge and Dicui Gorge. It extends 60 kilometers.

There are colorful and varied peaks, floating clouds, crystal waterfalls and springs, secret caves on cliff and dense forest in Lesser Three Gorges. As sailing on boat in the gorges, you can watch monkeys playing on rocks, paired mandarin ducks and fish swimming in the river. And you can also view the remains of Ba people's suspending coffins, ancient plank road and ancient stockaded villages. All the scenic spots of Lesser Three Gorges are beautiful and attractive.

The unique gorge, combining natural and cultural sceneries, is a gold tourist route with a splendid and manificent view.

Monkeys, Suspending Coffins and Ancient Plank Road

The trip of Lesser Three Gorges usually begins from the outlet of Daning River on boat (the boat with disel engine has the capacity of 20 persons). And the boat goes through Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge and Dicui Gorge.

Visitors can watch steep peaks, strangely-shaped rocks, springs and waterfalls. Flocks of monkeys play on the rocks covered with green grass. Visitors can go to the river bank to have a rest and collect some lovely marbles when the boat get to the sand bank. Visitors can also watch ancient suspending coffins and remains of plank road.

Gorges of Lesser Three Gorges

Longmen Gorge

It extends about 3 kilometers with both cliffs facing each other. The cliff walls seem to be divided by an axe and the shape of it is like a door. So, people says that "It is not Kuimen, but more dangerous than Kuimen".

Bawu Gorge

It is famous dangerous shoal called Yinwo Showl by passing Longmen Gorge. It is a dangerous and challenging part of the river for ships. It is Bawu Gorge after the showl.

Bawu Gorge is about 10 kilometers long. On either side of the limpid water are high peaks forming a deep valley, with strange-looking rocks and stalactites, often shrouded in a thin mist. The scenic spots in this section of the river include The returning dragon, The outgoing tiger, The horse returning to the hill, The monkey trying to pick up the moon from the water and The goddess of mercy sitting on the lotus flower. The returning dragon is a golden rock on the east bank which shapes like a giant dragon returning from the sky. The outgoing tiger is a yellow round-shaped rock which is like a wild tiger going out of the cave. The horse returning to the hill is the hanging stalactites which shape like two horses.

Besides, there is a black suspending coffin in the crack of the steep cliff 4 or 5 meters above east bank. It is called Iron Coffin. The other name of Bawu Gorge, Tieguan (Iron Coffin) Gorge, comes from this coffin. According to the research, this Iron Coffin is the suspending coffin of Ba People in the period of Warring States (403-221 B.C.). It is not made of iron, but the color of its surface is like iron. The best preserved concentration of the suspending coffins is Jinzhou Ba, which is 25 kilometers northeast to Wuxi County. There are 24 black coffins.

Dicui Gorge

Dicui Gorge is about 20 kilometers long and it is the longest gorge of Lesser Three Gorge. Sailing on board a ship on the part of the Daning River, visitors feel as if they were travelling along a great green corridor. As a poem says, "Among places of immense charm and beauty, the best is the Dicui Gorge." The main scenic spots are Curtain Waterfall Cave, Xianjiao Lin (Fairy Banana Trees), Buddha Sculpture on Rock, Tian Quan Fei Yu (Rain from Heavenly Spring), Luo's Stockade Village, Sheep Cliff, Chibi Mo Tian (Red Cliff Towering to the Sky), Suspending Coffins, Feiyun(Scudding Clouds) Cave and so on.

The sceney of Dicui Gorge is the highlight of Lesser Three Gorge. Chibi Mo Tian is a group of cliffs which are several hundred meters high, directly towering to the sky. It is golden and shining under the sunshine. Thus, it is the genuine Red Cliff.

Tourism Development of Lesser Three Gorges

The Lesser Three Gorges is famous for its elegant peaks, tranquil views, dangerous shoals and beautiful rocks. Visitors from urban area will definitely consider themselves traveling in a fairy land.

It was announced to be Top 40 Tourist Attractions in China in 1991 and the National Five-star Tourist Attraction in 2006. And it is also the Civilized Scenic Spot and Safe Scenic Spot in Chongqing.