The Three Gorges themselves are on the Yangtze, and the best-known diversion from them is the Lesser Three Gorges, a stretch of the Daning river that joins the Yangtze at Wushan, on the northern edge of Chongqing. The Daning cuts through the same limestone country as the great river but on a smaller scale and with much less traffic, and boats run up it from Wushan into a sequence of narrow canyons with cliffs on both sides.
The three gorges
The Daning route passes through three named canyons in succession, with the river twisting between rock walls several hundred metres high. The water is green and shallow in places, and the current is fast; the boat you take gets progressively smaller as the river narrows, and at the upper end of the route passengers transfer to sampans for the smaller tributary canyons, where the channel is only a few metres wide and the rock is close enough to touch. Monkey troops live on the cliffs and are frequently seen, along with birds and, occasionally, smaller mammals. There are ancient plank roads cut into the rock face along parts of the route, and hanging coffins in crevices.
How to do it
The trip is made as a day excursion from a Yangtze cruise, or independently by basing yourself at Wushan and taking the local boats. The full run up the three gorges and into the smaller canyons takes most of a day, with stops at viewpoints and a return the same way. The water level in the river has been affected by the Three Gorges reservoir downstream, which has changed the character of the lower section but not the narrow upper canyons. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; summer is hot and humid and the river is busy with tour boats.
Practical notes
Wushan is reached by road from Chongqing, by boat on the Yangtze, and now by air from several Chinese cities, and the gorges are a scheduled stop on most Three Gorges cruises. Boat tickets are sold in Wushan at the jetty and through hotels; a guide is useful for the commentary, which is in Chinese. Take sun protection, water and a light jacket, since the canyons are cool even in summer. The town itself is built up the hillside and the staircase streets are steep; allow time to climb between the jetty and the hotels.
