The Three Gorges Scenic Area is located in East Chongqing and West Hubei Province. Comprising Qutang Gorge, Wuxia Gorge, and Xiling Gorge, the area starts from Baidi in Fengjie County in the west and ends at the Nanjin Pass in Yichang City in the east. These are the Three Big Gorges, with a total length of about 124 miles.

Qutang Gorge, only 5 miles long, is the shortest of the three. Famous for its sheer and spectacular precipices, it is also the nar­rowest among the three, with the widest point measuring only 328 feet across. Kuimen (Kui Gate) is the entrance to Qutang Gorge, and the mountains here are very steep.

The scenic Wuxia Gorge is 15.5 miles from Qutang Gorge and is about 25 miles long. Noted for its deep and serene scenes, Wuxia Gorge is full of unusual zigzag peaks, ris­ing mists, and beautiful views. The famous Twelve Peaks, seen from both banks of the river, are the most spectacular.

Xiling Gorge, the longest of the three gorges, stretches from west to east for 47 miles from the mouth of the Xiangxi River at Zigui to Nanjin Pass near the city of Yichang in Hu­bei. This gorge is known for dangerous rapids and numerous shoals, the latter including the Qingtan, Kongling, and Xietan shoals. The Three Gorges Project is the largest hydro-power station project in the world.