| Wu Gorge (Wuxia Gorge) |
 |
Wu Gorge (Wuxia Gorge) is forty five kilometers long, extending from
the mouth of the Daning River in the west to Guandukou in Badong County,
with Hubei Province in the east. It rises with its lofty peaks following
the Qutang Gorge. Also known as the Great Gorge, it is a long and
neat gorge mainly divided into two sections - the Golden Helmet and
Silver Armour Gorge and the Iron Coffin Gorge.
The Daning River, at the western entrance to Wu Xia, is flanked
by continuous strange peaks, and some of them rising into the clouds
and presenting an unusual scene. The section of the river becomes
known as the Three Little Gorges. Its extraordinary beauty has been
praised by more and more tourists.
As the river cut through the Wushan mountains, its roaring currents
change their directions constantly. It is the most beautiful part
of the Yangtze, green trees and bushes, together with fogs and clouds
covering the high peaks. Wushan at the entrance to Wu Gorge is a
famous town with 12 high peaks, described by legend as twelve fairy
spirits. The best known is Shennu (Goddess) Peak, the graceful shape
of which resembles a girl looking down at the boats in the river.
With the river marching on, a mountain appears and blocks the way.
This is Congregated Immortals Peak, on whose grey-white rock face
can just be made out a carved inscription, known as the Kongming
Pai, which legend attributed to the great third-century politician
and strategist Zhuge Liang.
Five kilometers below Kongming Pai on the south bank is the small
trading town of Peishi, which marks the provincial border between
Sichuan and Hubei. Just above the north-bank town of Guandukou -
marking the end of Wu Gorge - was the site of the Flint Rapid (Huoyan
Shi), which was very violent at high water, with limestone rocks
jutting into the river like huge stone gates beckoning helpless
craft. These, along with all the dangerous rocks in the shipping
channel, were blown up in the 1950s. Besides rapids, other dangers
to navigators included whirlpools, quicksand and currents which
varied from hour to hour.
12 peaks in Wu Gorge (Wuxia Gorge):
- Six peaks line the north side:
Climbing Dragon Peak (Denglong Feng)
Sage Spring Peak (Shengquan Feng)
Facing Clouds Peak ( Chaoyun Feng)
Goddess Peak (Shennu Feng)
Fir Tree Cone Peak (Songluan Feng)
Congregated Immortals Peaks (Jixian Feng)
- Three Peaks flank the south side:
Assembled Cranes Peak (Juhe Feng)
Misty Screen Peak (Cuiping Feng)
Flying Phoenix Peak (Feifeng Feng)
- Three more peaks may be glimpsed behind these:
Clean Altar Peak (Jingtan Feng)
Rising Cloud Peak (Qiyun Feng)
Mounting Aloft Peak (Shangsheng Feng)Wu Gorge ( Wu Xia ) |
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