Three Gorges Dam Scenic Area Travel Guide, Yichang Scenic Spots and Food Recommendations

Preface

When mentioning Yichang, the first word that comes to your mind may be the Three Gorges Dam. The Three Gorges Dam is a world-famous water conservancy project, and Yichang is therefore also known as the "World Hydropower Capital".

As a Hubei native who went to college in Yichang for three years, I have a lot to say about this. Since I am very interested in tourism, I studied tourism management for three years in college and have become familiar with most places in Yichang. First of all, I will give you a detailed introduction to the gameplay, strategies and itinerary of the dam.

External transportation

There is only one high-speed railway station in Yichang (Yichang East Station). After arriving at Yichang East Station, there is a bus station next to it. You can buy bus tickets for bus 809 (to Zigui) directly at the self-service ticket machine on the second floor of the bus station. The ticket is 12 yuan.

Tips:

1. When you get on the bus, remember to tell the driver that you are going to the dam, otherwise the driver will not stop when passing the dam. It will take about an hour to reach the Three Gorges Dam Visitor Center.

2. The bus will only stop at the bus stop near the Three Gorges Dam. After arriving at the bus stop, it will take you 10 minutes to walk to the visitor center.

3. Friends, don’t believe the people who keep attracting tourists near the bus station. They will usually tell you that the dam is still far away and they can take you to see the best places of the dam. Just ignore them. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the bus station to the tourist center.

4. Because the dam is strictly managed, you cannot bring any items such as knives, alcohol, and drones into the area during security checks! If you accidentally bring any, you can store them nearby and pick them up after the tour.

5. The Three Gorges Dam is divided into three scenic spots, namely Tanziling, Platform 185, and Diversion Memorial Park. The total tour duration is 3 hours.

After arriving, you can buy a transfer ticket for 35 yuan. After buying the ticket, you can queue up for security check. After passing security check, you can directly queue up for the bus. After about 10 minutes, you will arrive at the first scenic spot, Tanziling.

Scenic spots

Tanziling

Recommended visit time: 30 minutes

Tanziling is the highest point of the Three Gorges Dam, with an altitude of 262.48 meters. There is a high point on it. Climbing up, you can have a panoramic view of the entire Three Gorges Dam. Standing on it, you can look down at the Three Gorges Dam from a bird's-eye view.

Tanziling Scenic Area also features "Three Stones and One Book." The first cylindrical stone is called the Three Gorges Dam Foundation Stone. Made of granite, it's an incredibly hard rock core drilled from Zhongbao Island. The second, a triangular tetrahedron, is called the Diversion Stone. This stone was used to divert the river, but the model shown here is a model; the actual diversion stone is not this large. The final stone, the Wannian River Bottom Stone, is porous, some formed naturally by river erosion, and others left behind by the earliest experts who surveyed the area. Tanziling Scenic Area also boasts a massive heavenly book, the page of which contains detailed information about Tanziling.

Tips:

After visiting Tanziling, you'll need to walk about 20 minutes to reach Platform 185. If you're tired, there's a large tree pavilion on the left on the way down. The women selling things there are very kind and you can buy some food there to fill your stomach. In the summer, you can buy some Zigui navel oranges, which are delicious. You can also sit down and rest to replenish your energy.

2. Since the temperature at the dam can reach over 40 degrees Celsius in the summer, there is little shade on the dam. If you really can't walk the 20-minute distance, you can buy a battery car ticket at the scenic area. (Battery car tickets are purchased separately, the fare is 20 yuan, and it can be used for three sections of the journey, which is still very cost-effective)

After about fifteen minutes of walking, you'll see the scene of a high gorge and a calm lake, as envisioned by Chairman Mao. At this point, be sure to look to your left, as there's a golden nanmu tree planted by President Xi Jinping during his visit to the dam last year. If you're interested, you can check it out and take a photo.

185 Platform

Recommended visit time: 25 minutes

Walk further and you will reach the second attraction, Platform 185, which is at the same altitude as the dam. From Platform 185, you can view the dam at eye level, and the dam is right in front of you.

There are armed police standing guard at the entrance of the dam top. Upstream of the dam is Zigui County, the hometown of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, many activities are held in the opposite county, which is very lively.

Tips:

1. The top of the Three Gorges Dam is not open to the public, and there will be armed police guarding the entrance to the top of the dam. Please try not to point your mobile phone at it to take pictures.

2. If you purchase an electric car ticket, you can take two more electric cars to tour the park in the Jieliu Memorial Park.

After visiting Platform 185, you can take a transfer bus to the last attraction, the River Interception Memorial Park. (The journey takes about 15 minutes)

Interception Memorial Park

Recommended tour time: 40 minutes

The Diversion Memorial Park is located downstream of the Three Gorges Dam. If your friends encounter flood discharge during their visit, this place is definitely the best place to watch the flood discharge.

Here, you can look up at the dam and see the magnificent dam clearly. At the same time, there are many large-scale mechanical equipment left over from the diversion, such as loaders, dump trucks, diversion stones, etc. in the park. There are many trees in the diversion memorial park, so it is cooler than the previous two attractions. You can rest here for a while.

After the tour, you can go to the exit and take the transfer bus back to the visitor center.

Dam site selection factors

I would also like to tell you about the site selection of the dam. The Three Gorges Dam was built in Sanduping Town, Yiling District, Yichang City. There were three reasons for choosing this location to build the dam. First, the river surface in Sanduping is very open. During the construction of the dam, many large units needed to be placed. The wide river surface is conducive to the placement of large units. Second, the geology here is granite, which has strong pressure resistance and is almost impermeable. Third, there used to be a small island called Zhongbao Island in Sanduping. Zhongbao Island divides the Yangtze River into two, helping to divert open channels and intercept the river.

Tips for visiting the dam

As a student who has interned at the dam for half a year, I have a few tips to share with everyone!

First: The dam has been free of admission since 2008, and the 35 yuan fee is for transferring to a bus in the scenic area.

Second: Starting from June, the temperature at the Three Gorges Dam can reach 40 degrees. You must take good sun protection measures and use sunscreen if necessary. Otherwise, you will really get tanned after a few hours.

Third: The best time to visit the dam is recommended to be March, April and May, when the weather is more comfortable and not too hot.

Fourth: If you come during the summer, it is recommended to visit in the morning so that you can avoid the high temperature a little.

Fifth: There are fried dried fish in the scenic area, which are very delicious. If you like them, you can buy one for 20 yuan.

The above is the complete detailed guide and gameplay of the Three Gorges Dam. I hope it can be helpful to you!

Other attractions in Yichang

As a nationally famous tourist city, Yichang has many tourist attractions. In addition to the Three Gorges Dam, there are also the Three Gorges People's Home, Qingjiang Gallery, Three Gorges Waterfall, Qu Yuan's Hometown, Sanyou Cave... and other attractions, which are all very popular. In summer, you can also come to Yichang for rafting.

Yichang Food

As a tourist city, in addition to scenic spots, delicious food is of course indispensable.

NO.1. Yichang Yangtze River Fatty Fish

Yichang's Yangtze River fish boasts tender, boneless flesh, smooth as jade, and a delicate, sweet flavor. The resulting broth is especially rich, white, smooth, and sweet. Its thick swim bladder has long been a delicacy. It's a must-try delicacy in Yichang.

NO2. Radish dumplings

Radish dumplings are a specialty of Yichang. Fresh radish is thinly shredded, and cilantro and scallions are seasoned with salt, pepper, chili powder, and MSG. Stir well and set aside. A special crescent-shaped iron spoon is coated with rice paste, and the pickled radish shreds are added. The spoon is then placed in a pan and deep-fried. The dumplings will automatically fall off the spoon when they are cooked through. Fry until both sides are golden brown. They are crispy and delicious.

NO3. Peng's Cold Shrimp

Cold shrimp is a flavorful cold drink. Rice is cooked into a paste and then poured into a basin of cold water using a colander. The tea, with its large head and thin tail, resembles a shrimp, hence the name. Brown sugar water, osmanthus sugar, and honey are added to the tea for flavoring, clearing away heat and quenching thirst while leaving a cool, refreshing taste.