Small Three Gorges
» Chengdu, Si Chuan

大宁河小三峡,龙门峡、巴雾峡、滴翠峡

Daninghe River

Situated in Wushan County, the Small Three Gorges, namely the Longmen Gorge, the Bawu Gorge and the Dicui Gorge extend from the mouth of the Longmen Gorge in the south to Tujiaba in the north, totaling 50 kilometers and with numerous precipices, rapids and dangerous shoals, waterfalls and springs, ancient caves and luxuriant forests on both banks. Monkeys, mandarin ducks, water birds and fish can be seen in this area. Here you can board a small junk to enjoy the spectacular views and experience a water-borne sensation you never did before.

Daninghe River

The Daninghe River, a tributary north of the Yangtze River, is east of Wushan County within the region of Chongqing City. The river is the most beautiful of all the tributaries to the river length of the Yangtze River along the Three Gorges. The Daninghe River flows about 240 km with its superb natural sights on its banks and about 120 km away from the capital of Wuxi County. The flow surges down the river channel from the elevation of more than 2000 meters.

Why called "Small Three Gorges"

Along Daninghe River channel, there are many superb gorges and valleys for tourism. The developed tourist region on the Daninghe River covers only 60 kilometer - river channel from the outlet of the Daninghe River to the Yangtze River to the Dachang Town upstream of the Daninghe River.

There are three gorges along this river length of the Daninghe River, they are: the Longmen Gorge (the Dragon-Gate Gorge), the Bawu Gorge (the Iron Coffin Gorge) and the Dicui Gorge (the Splashing-Water Gorge). Since the River channel through these three gorges is even narrower than that through the Qutang Gorge, the Wu Gorge and the Xiling Gorge, and people can enjoy steeper cliffs and stranger rocks there than those in the Three Gorges, people call these three gorges "Small Three Gorges."

Getting around

Clear water flows between precarious precipices and peaks covered with green trees and bushes. Here you can board a small junk to enjoy the spectacular views and experience a water-borne sensation you never did before. Its "subtle mountains, clear waters, pretty rocks, dangerous rapids, sharp turns, fantastic caves, and stalactites in various shapes" characterize the natural landscape in the Small Three Gorges. Monkeys, mandarin ducks, water birds and fish can be seen in this area.

In addition to the continuous natural scenery there are a number of historical places of interest along the way, such as suspending coffin, boat coffin, remains of ancient plank walkway. The area has been made one of the key nature reserves in China and is becoming known as a tourist attraction continuing to offer its charms.

The Longmen Gorge (the Dragon-Gate Gorge)

The Longmen Gorge will come first if you visit the Small Three Gorges from the river outlet of the Daning River to the Yangtze River. It extends 3 km with the superb high cliffs on both the banks of the river. Of the peaks in this gorge, the Glossy-Ganoderma Peak is then the most beautiful of all the peaks in the Small Three Gorges. The nine rock pillars around the peak form a fantastic scene.

The Bawu Gorge (the Iron Coffin Gorge)

After visiting the Longmen Gorge, you will sail into 10 km Bawu Gorge. You may have found suspended coffins of the Ba people in the caves of the cliffs. The local people have called the Bawu Gorge the Iron Coffin Gorge. In the gorge, you may have seen cliff after cliff and peak after peak, where various stalactites would have hanged on the cliffs to decorate the Bawu Gorge with the superb natural scenery.

The Dicui Gorge (the Splashing-Water Gorge)

Then your boat reaches the Dicui Gorge, which is the longest and the most beautiful of all the three gorges on the Daning River. In the gorge, you have a chance to enjoy a lot of strange and superb peaks, karst caves, springs, falls and stalactites with many groups of monkeys and gorillas.

Something we suggest

If you like to explore the Small Thee Gorges, to embrace the nature. Take those ships which stop at here. You will find the photographs, articles, poems and draw paintings enthusiastically about here. There are other scenic spots include: Yinwo (Silver) Shoal, Stalactite Buddhism Cliff, Mianyang (Sheep) Cliff, White Dragon Crossing the River Waterfall, Madu River.

Attractions around » Chengdu, Si Chuan

Natural Scene

Natural Scene

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Historical Site

Cultural Site

Cultural Site

Shopping & Leisure

Shopping & Leisure

River & Waterfall

River & Waterfall

Nature Reserve & Scenic Area

Nature Reserve & Scenic Area
  1. What's the history of Yangtze River?
  2. What are the characteristics of Yangtze river?
  3. How's the environment around Yangtze River?
  4. When is the best time to cruise on the Yangtze River?
  5. What's the difference between upstream and downstream?
  6. What are the sightseeings alongside the river?
  7. What does the cruise ticket include?
  8. How are the ship meals arranged?
  9. What is the difference between an ocean cruise ship and a Yangtze River cruise ship on management structure?
  10. Is there any limit for luggage?

  1. What's the history of Yangtze River?

    The Yangtze Harbor is important to the cultural origins of southern China. Human activity was found in the Three Gorges area as far back as 27 thousand years ago, initiating debate over the origin of the Chinese people. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Ba and Shu were located in the western part of the river, covering modern Sichuan, Chongqing, and western Hubei; Chu was located in the central part of river, corresponding to Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and southern Anhui. Wu and Yue were located in the eastern part of the river, now Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Although the Yellow River region was richer and more developed at that time, the milder climate and more peaceful environment made the Yangtze river area more suitable for agriculture.

    From the Han Dynasty, the region of the Yangtze river became more and more important in China's economy. The establishment of irrigation systems (the most famous one is Dujiangyan, northwest of Chengdu, built during the Warring States period) made agriculture very stable and productive. Early in the Qing dynasty, the region called 'Jiangnan' (that includes the southern part of Jiangsu, the northern part of Zhejiang, and the southeastern part of Anhui) provided 1/3-1/2 of the nation's revenues.

    Historically, the Yangtze became the political boundary between north China and south China several times because of the difficulty of crossing the river. Many battles took place along the river, the most famous being the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208 AD during the Three Kingdoms period.

    Politically, Nanjing was the capital of China several times, although most of the time its territory only covered the southeastern part of China, such as the Wu kingdom in the Three Kingdoms period, the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and smaller countries in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periods. Only the Ming occupied most parts of China from their capital at Nanjing, though it later moved capital to Beijing. The ROC capital was located in Nanjing in the periods 1911-1912, 1927-1937, 1945-1949.


  2. What are the characteristics of Yangtze river?

    The Yangtze flows into the East China Sea and was navigable by ocean-going vessels up to a thousand miles from its mouth even before the Three Gorges Dam was built. As of June 2003, this dam spans the river, flooding Fengjie, the first of a number of towns affected by the massive flood control and power generation project. This is the largest comprehensive irrigation project in the world, and has a significant impact on the China's agriculture. Its proponents argue that it will free people living along the river from floods that have repeatedly threatened them in the past, and will offer them electricity and water transport -- though at the expense of permanently flooding many existing towns (including numerous ancient cultural relics) and causing large-scale changes in the local ecology.

    Opponents of the dam point out that there are three different kinds of floods on the Yangtze River: floods which originate in the upper reaches, floods which originate in the lower reaches, and floods along the entire length of the river. They argue that the Three Gorges dam will actually make flooding in the upper reaches worse and have little or no impact on floods which originate in the lower reaches. Twelve hundred years of low water marks on the river were recorded in the inscriptions and the carvings of carp at Baiheliang, now submerged.

    The Yangtze is flanked with metallurgical, power, chemical, auto, building materials and machinery industrial belts, and high-tech development zones. It is playing an increasingly crucial role in the river valley's economic growth and has become a vital link for international shipping to the inland provinces. The river is a major transportation artery for China, connecting the interior with the coast. The river used as a waterway for commerce offer now the possibility to cruise at leisure. Since 2004 a European luxury cruising company has brought very high standard and with the help of Swiss hotelier Nicolas C. Solari developed and opened three beautiful vessels now cruising the mighty river. The river is one of the world's busiest waterways. Traffic includes commercial traffic transporting bulk goods such as coal as well as manufactured goods and passengers. Cargo transportation reached 795 million tons in 2005. River cruises several days long especially through the beautiful and scenic Three Gorges area are becoming popular as the tourism industry grows in China.

    Flooding along the river has been a major problem. The rainy season in China is May and June in areas south of Yangtze River, and July and August in areas north of it. The huge river system receives water both from southern and northern flanks, which causes its flood season to extend from May to August. Meanwhile, the relatively dense population and rich cities along the river make the floods more deadly and costly. The most recent major floods were the 1998 Yangtze River Floods, but more disastrous were the 1954 Yangtze river floods, killing around 30,000 people. Other severe floods included those of 1911 which killed around 100,000, 1931 (145,000 dead), and 1935 (142,000 dead).

    The Yangtze is very polluted, especially in Hubei (Shashi).

  3. How's the environment around Yangtze River?

    In 2007 fears were expressed that China's Finless Porpoise, known locally as the jiangzhu or'river pig' might follow the baiji, the Yangtze river dolphin, into extinction. The baiji was declared functionally extinct in 2006.

    Calls have been made for action to be taken to save the porpoise, of which there are about 1400 left living, with between 700 and 900 in the Yangtze, with about another 500 in Poyang and Dongting Lakes.

    2007 population levels are less than half the 1997 levels, and the population is dropping at a rate of 7.3 percent per year.

    Heavy river traffic on the Yangtze has driven the porpoise into the lakes. On Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, sand dredging has become a mainstay of local economical development in the last few years, and is an important source of revenue in the region that border it. But at the same time, high-density dredging projects have been the principal cause of the death of the local wildlife population.

    Dredging makes the waters of the lake muddier, and the porpoises cannot see as far as they once could, and have to rely on their highly-developed sonar systems to avoid obstacles and look for food. Large ships enter and leave the lake at the rate of two a minute and such a high density of shipping means the porpoises have difficulty hearing their food, and also cannot swim freely from one bank to the other. About 30% of river's major tributaries like Minjiang, Tuojiang, Xiangjiang and Huangpu are heavily polluted by massive quantities of ammonia, nitrogen, phosphorus and other pollutants which are causing significantly smaller fish catch.

    The Three Gorges Dam is having a major adverse impact on the Yangtze River basin, especially the biota and archaeology.

  4. When is the best time to cruise on the Yangtze River?

    Any time is okay to travel when ships are sailing. The most popular times are April, May, September, October and even November as the good weather lingers much longer in China than that in North America.


  5. What's the difference between upstream and downstream?

    The advantage and disadvantage of upstream trip and downstream trip is the following

    • UPSTREAM

      1, Upstream trip is more relax and comfortable because of one more day staying on the cruise ship. The passengers will not feel tired and busy during these days.

      2, For foreigners, you may have more chance to know and learn some chinese culture and custom.

      3, For persons who have not enough time to travel, upstream is not a good selection.

      4, The place of the begining is Yichang city in which the airport route is not enough for the travellers around the world.

    • DOWNSTREAM

      1, Chongqing has a bigger airport, so it's easier for them to get to Chongqing boarding the cruise ship from many cities.

      2, Most people think downstream trip gives you the feeling that you're going down the main stream.

      3, For some travellers who have not enough time. The downstream trip is best choice.

      4, As there are more people take downstream cruises, it's more expensive and more crowded.


  6. What are the sightseeings alongside the river?

    The cruise will allow you to enjoy some unique sights including superlative natural scenery, important historical sites.
    Some of the highlights from Chongqing to Yichuan are:

      • Chaotianmen Gate Chaotianmen Gate is the largest harbor on the upper reach of the Yangtze River. It is an amazing place where the brown, muddy Yangtze meets the clear Jialing River.

      • Fengdu Ghost City It is said to be the home of devil. The whole place has an eerie feel to it with deserted streets, tower blocks, empty shops and banks.

      • Shibaozhai Shibaozhai is a rectangular rock with sheer cliffs, standing on the riverside. A 12-storey red wooden pagoda with upturned eaves stands on the top.

      • Lesser Three Gorges The Lesser Three Gorges refers to the three separate valleys of the Daning River with the names of Dragon Gate Gorge, Misty Gorge and Emerald Gorge. The gorges are truly spectacular. Sheer cliffs soar up towards the sky from the brown-green water. Mountain tops hover above the ribbon of mist, disconnected from their roots.

      • Shennong Sream Shennong Stream is a tributary of the Yangtze River. The crystal clear steam flows swiftly from north to south through deep gorges.

      • Baidi City(White Emperor City) Baidi City clings to grand hills and cliffs. It is well known as 'the Poet City' Many ancient scholars once visited it and left many literary relics.

      • Gezhou Dam The dam is 2,606 meters long and 70 meters high. There will be 5 ship locks and even an elevator to lift smaller ships over the dam.

    Note: You may only see some of those sights along your trip, which depends on the ship you take.

  7. What does the cruise ticket include?

    The price is very comprehensive as it includes the accommodation, all meals on board, shore excursions and port taxes. The extra costs would be gratuity which is your personal discretion, drinks in bars, long distance telephone calls and faxes, laundry, barbershop, clinics, massage, shopping and others personal expenses.

  8. How are the ship meals arranged?

    Each ship has a big restaurant, which can accommodate all passengers on board the ship. So, there are no shifts on board the ship.Passengers are arranged at appointed tables, which are planned by travel group, nationality, habit of food, religion and culture. Usually, ten persons are at one table. Sometimes, three to five persons are at one table, which depend on the total number of the passengers. There are many collective activities such as shore excursions and they have fixed schedules, so the meal schedules are fixed, too. It takes 1-1.5 hours to have your meals rely on the schedule. A three-star or above cruise ship provides room dinner service and local flavor banquet if you book half or one day in advance. If you are a patient, or Moslem, or Buddhist, you may give advanced notice. Diet, vegetarian, low sugar and low salt food are also available.

    Each ship has a welcome banquet and farewell banquet, on which dishes are delivered to table. Some five-star ships offer authentic western banquets, with silver forks and knives, provide imported butter, cheese. Most cruise ships arrange buffet meals, with both Chinese and western food.

    Most ships also take orders for Chinese dishes. If you want to treat somebody special on the ship, even with a banquet, it can be arranged. The main menu is published on the notice board in front of the restaurant. Ask the waiter or waitress if you are not sure.

    Here is a list of food provided on board:

      • Chinese Wine Tsingtao Dry Wine, Dynasty Dry White Wine, Dynasty Red Wine, Loyal

      • Cocktail with Alcohol tw Medini, Grass Hopper, Whisky Sour, Teqinla Suririse, Planter Punch, Tom Collins, Margarita, Daiquiri, Pina Bloody Mary.

      • Cocktail without Alcohol Royal Cruise, Pussy Foot, Fn, iit Punch

      • Soft Drinks (aerated water, mineral, juice) Cola, Diet Cola, Spirit Sodri Tonic, Evian Water, Pemer Water, Localwater, Orange Juice, Tomato Juice, Coconut Milk

      • Aperiiifs Campari, Pemo4 Martini

      • Sherry Port Cream Sheny, Fino Sheny, Sandeman Port

      • Whisky Scotch Whisky, Whisky, Irish Whisky, Malt Whisky, Bour Whisky

      • Vodka Smimoff Vodka, Stolichiiaya Vodka

      • Gin, Gordonfs

      • Rum Captain Morgen, Bacardi Rum

      • Congnac Courvoisier Napolone, Remy Martin. Hennessy

      • Congnac Courvoisier X. O, Remy Martin X. O, Hennessy X. O, Martell Cordon Bleu

      • Spirit Pernod, Underberg, Tequila

      • Beer and Stout Carlsberg, Heineken. San Miguel, Stout

      • Chinese Spirits Fen Jiu, Mao Tai, Bai Yun Bian, Wu Liang Ye

  9. What is the difference between an ocean cruise ship and a Yangtze River cruise ship on management structure?

    The management system on the Yangtze is simple. The general manager is in charge, which is different from ocean cruise vessels. Captain is in charge of the operation of mechanical part of the ship. He must concentrate on the sailing because there are lots of gorges, reefs and shoals in the river. The captains on the Yangtze River are experienced and have been examined and promoted strictly. Ordinarily, there are one hundred and half travelers and one hundred staffs on one ship.


  10. Is there any limit for luggage?

    There is no rule for the number of the pieces or weight of personal luggage on your cruise ship. But closet space is limited, so bring things you intend to use. There is a luggage rack in every room and luggage deposit service is available. If you are a member of a travel group, your luggage will be sent to ship in advance or arrive at the same time you check in. The luggage will be sent into your cabin by the bellboy once your cabin is assigned. If you are traveling individually, the bellboy will help you. But the ships usually charge $1 per piece, arrival or departure. Please note this is not tip and you have to pay upfront on the spot.If you want to pay tip when he has finished his job, give him one or two ten-yuan bills when you do not have a lot of stuff.

Here sheer cliffs and steep mountains rise on either side, creating one of natural fine arts gallery as natural scenic wonders unfold on both banks of the Daninghe River. Lying on the lower reaches of Daninghe River, are the Small Three Gorges. As the exciting and famous stops in the Yangtze River, they are often called the "highlight" of the cruise, even the whole China trip.

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