Xiling Gorge
Why visit here?
The Xiling Gorge is the longest of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, with 76 kilometers of landscapes where history and nature merge. Before the construction of the great dam, it was feared for its dangerous rapids, especially Cape Lechuga, where the waters swirled like whirlpools and boats struggled to survive.
Its cliffs hold hidden treasures. The Three Tourists Grottoes preserve more than a hundred inscriptions from the Song dynasty, including poems by Su Shi and his brothers. Further on, the Huangniu waterfalls plunge from a height of 100 meters, like the mane of a golden ox that, according to legend, still grazes in the mist.
The gorge was also the scene of epic battles. In the Sword Cemetery, oral traditions tell that warriors from the Three Kingdoms threw their weapons into the river before being defeated. Today, divers have found remains of armor and spearheads among the rocks at the bottom.
Xiling marks the end of the natural gorges. Its final bends reflect the calm waters of the Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric project in the world. Wild orchids bloom in spring among the rocks, bringing the journey through the Yangtze's longest and most legendary canyon to a beautiful close.
Pros & Cons
- The longest and most "dangerous" of the Three Gorges (76km), yet paradoxically now its most serene
- China's highest canyon bungee jump (61m) – vertical poetry for adrenaline seekers
- Summer afternoons are brutally hot; winter mornings are photographically essential
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