By Rui Hu, EDITOR
There are 4 selected routes to travel in Three Gorges, all routes are roundtrips from Wanzhou, Wanzhou has become the transportation center for the tourism in Three Gorges, and it contains rich travel resources as its tourism industry is developing. Check out the attractions in Wanzhou and around.
Roundtrip flight from Wanzhou has 4 routes as below
- Wanzhou → Yunyang → Wuxi → Wushan → Fengjie → Wanzhou
- Wanzhou → Enshi → Fengjie → Yunyang → Kaizhou → Wanzhou
- Wanzhou → Liangping → Dianjiang → Zhongzhou → Shizhu → Fengdu → Fuling → Changshou → Wanzhou/ Chongqing’s main urban district
- Wanzhou → Wuxi → Chengkou → Kaizhou → Wanzhou
Route 1: Wanzhou → Yunyang → Wuxi → Wushan → Fengjie → Wanzhou
Day 1 in Wanzhou
Flight to Wanzhou Airport, drive to the selected 2 spots below
Wanzhou: Wanzhou Grand Fall（万州大瀑布），the Chongqing Three Gorges Migration Memorial Hall（三峡移民纪念馆），Ping Lake
Wanzhou Grand Waterfall 万州大瀑布
Go see the spectator view of grand fall, there is Qinglong Cave behind the waterfall with extraordinary natural wall. Located 30 km away to the downtown Wanzhou county, Wanzhou Grand Waterfall is the central scenic spot, becoming the No.1 (the widest) waterfall in Asia. It covers 9739.5m2, with 151m wide and 64.5m high. The waterfall serves 2 exciting highlights to visitors: the extraordinary rainbow on the clear day, and the 360°panorama sight viewing. Go see the spectator view of grand fall, there is Qinglong Cave behind the waterfall with extraordinary natural wall.
Route 1 Day 2 in Yunyang
Wanzhou → Yunyang
Yunyang: Yunyang Longgang National Geological Park, Zhangfei Temple
Yunyang Longgang Geological Park 云阳龙缸
Bridge on the cloud in Yunyang Longgang, photo by Li xiangbo
It was rated as national AAAAA tourism scenic area. Longgang is located at Yunyang county, it is the largest Karst-Shaft in the world. It looks like a huge geological jar, and it is hundreds of meters long and deep. Therefore, it named Longgang, known as “Dragon Jar” in Chinese. Its depth is the third deepest in China, and fifth in the world. In the jar, pines lie in the gap, creeping up the sides to resemble a sleeping dragon.
Route 1 Day 3 in Wuxi
Yunyang → Wuxi → Wushan
Wushan & Wuxi: Wushan Three Gorges, Shennv Scenic Site
Wushan Three Gorges 巫山小三峡
The cliffs on both sides appear to have been cut by knives or axes. Among the Wu Mountains that are located at the northern and southern beaches of the Wu Gorge, one of the twelve peaks is known as Fairy Peak. According to folk tradition, it symbolizes a fairy who assisted in controlling the waters and guiding boatmen.
Route 1 Day 4 in Fengjie
Wushan → Fengjie → Wanzhou
Fengjie: Baidi City, Kuimen
Baidi City 白帝城
Located at the entrance of Qutang Gorge in Fengjie county, with more than 1000 historical relics and many huge paintings inside the exhibition hall. It is also called “the City of Poems” because many famous poets such as Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Du fu, etc. came to Baidi City, as well as many poems about it have been passed so far.
Flight back home from Wanzhou Airport
Face change show in Fengdu, photo by Xiong Bo
Route 2: Wanzhou → Enshi → Fengjie → Yunyang → Kaizhou → Wanzhou
Route 2 Day 1 in Wanzhou
Route 2 Day 2 in Enshi
Wanzhou → Enshi
Enshi: Lichuan Tenglong Cave, Enshi Grand Canyon
Enshi Grand Canyon 恩施大峡谷
Enshi Grand Canyon is located in the Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. It is bordered by Yangtze Three Gorges in the north, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in the south and the neighborhood of Yichang city in the east. Its cliffs stretch as hundreds of miles (China Daily).
Extrodinary views in Enshi Grand Canyon
Route 2 Day 3 in Fengjie
Enshi → Fengjie
Fengjie: Baidi City, Kuimen
Baidi City 白帝城
Located at the entrance of Qutang Gorge in Fengjie county, with more than 1000 historical relics and many huge paintings inside the exhibition hall. It is also called “the City of Poems” because many famous poets such as Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Du fu, etc. came to Baidi City, as well as many poems about it have been passed so far.
Route 2 Day 4 in Yunyang
Fengjie → Yunyang
Yunyang: Yunyang Longgang National Geological Park, Zhangfei Temple
Yunyang Longgang Geological Park 云阳龙缸
It was rated as national AAAAA tourism scenic area. Longgang is located at Yunyang county, it is the largest Karst-Shaft in the world. It looks like a huge geological jar, and it is hundreds of meters long and deep. Therefore, it named Longgang, known as “Dragon Jar” in Chinese. Its depth is the third deepest in China, and fifth in the world. In the jar, pines lie in the gap, creeping up the sides to resemble a sleeping dragon.
Route 2 Day 5 in Wanzhou
Yunyang → Kaizhou → Wanzhou
Flight back home from Wanzhou Airport
Route 3: Wanzhou → Liangping → Dianjiang → Zhongzhou → Shizhu → Fengdu → Fuling → Changshou → Wanzhou/ Chongqing’s main urban district
Route 3 Day 1 in Wanzhou
Route 3 Day 2 in Liangping
Wanzhou → Liangping
Liangping: Shuangguitang, Huashi ancient village
Shuangguitang 双桂堂
Shuangguitang also named as Fuguo Temple, located at Jindaigui village on the southwest Liangping County, it was built in Qing dynasty in 1653, which has 350 years history. Shuangguitang refers to two cassia trees in Chinese; it was renowned as House of Southwest Buddhist.
Route 3 Day 3 in Zhongzhou
Liangping → Dianjiang → Zhongzhou
Zhongzhou: Shibaozhai Village
Shibaozhai Village 石宝寨
It is a temple relies on the mountain, which the mountain is a kind of cliff. The Shibaozhai Village was built by the Ming Dynasty (1572 – 1619), constituted by the gate, body and attic. It is 56m high with 12 floors, and the whole village is made by wood. It is provided a place for visitors to incense and pray times ago, but visitors today can look over the river at the top of the village.
Route 3 Day 4 in Shizhu
Zhongzhou → Shizhu
Shizhu: Xituo Ancient Town, Folian Cave
Xituo Ancient Town 西沱古镇
Xituo Ancient Town, the town was developed due to ancient commerce; the Yunti Street in town is a starting point of Sichuan Salt Ancient Path, and the core architecture in town.
Xituo Ancient Town is a starting point of ancient salt path
Route 3 Day 5 in Fengdu
Shizhu → Fengdu
Fengdu Ghost City 丰都鬼城
It is a collection buildings of monasteries, temples, and shrines overlooking the river. The mythic temple of underworld is the prototype of the complex, showing the culture of afterlife to visitors.
Route 3 Day 6 in Changshou
Fengdu → Fuling → Changshou
Changshou: Changshou Ancient Town
Changshou Ancient Town 长寿古镇
Puti Mountain in Changshou
Located at the Changshou county, which is 40km away from eastern in Chongqing. The ancient town is the complex with travel, entertainment, culture exhibition, etc. Focusing on Changshou culture, the ancient town shows culture, humanities, and civilizations to visitors.
Changshou → Wanzhou/ Chongqing’s main urban district
Drive from Changshou to Wanzhou (appr. 2 hours)/downtown Chongqing (appr. 1 hour)
Flight back home from Wanzhou Airport or other transportation in Chongqing downtown
Route 4：Wanzhou → Wuxi → Chengkou → Kaizhou → Wanzhou
Route 4 Day 1 in Wanzhou
Route 4 Day 2 in Wuxi
Wanzhou → Wuxi
Wuxi: Wushan Three Gorges, Shennv Scenic Site
Wushan Three Gorges 巫山小三峡
The cliffs on both sides appear to have been cut by knives or axes. Among the Wu Mountains that are located at the northern and southern beaches of the Wu Gorge, one of the twelve peaks is known as Fairy Peak. According to folk tradition, it symbolizes a fairy who assisted in controlling the waters and guiding boatmen.
Route 4 Day 3 in Chengkou
Wuxi → Chengkou
Chengkou: Kanggu Scenic Site
Kanggu Scenic Site 亢谷风景区
Kanggu Scenic Site located at the eastern Chengkou County, 39 kilometers from the township, it has gorges and rivers in rapid with mountains all around. The best gift to buy in Chengkou is the preserved meat, this is one of a kind to try in Chengkou. Fresh air and pure natural feeling in this county has impressed most tourists.
Route 4 Day 3 in Wanzhou
Chengkou → Kaizhou → Wanzhou
Flight back home from Wanzhou Airport