Looking off the Bow of the Dragon Boat - Entering the Gorges

Stop 4 - The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River "Rapids to Reservoir"

Focus Question: How have the Chinese used the Yangtze River throughout their history?
Portfolio Questions: Why do people live and move where they do? & How has the quest for resources affected human history?

Google Earth map of the Yangtze River Three Gorges area. You can see the folds of mountains that the river flows through.

Geography: The Yangtze River cuts through three mountainous areas known as "Gorges". The three are named Xiling, Wuxia, and Qutang. Below is a map of the three gorges:

Traveling up the Yangtze River (From right to left on the above map):

Xiling Gorge - It runs for 66 km. Noted for numerous dangerous sections, with fast flowing currents. There is a broad valley in the middle which splits the gorge into two sections.
Map of the Xiling Gorge Xiling Gorge Pic

Wuxia Gorge - It's around 45 kilometres long. Also called the Great Gorge, and follows a zig-zagging course. As with the Qutang gorge, scenic landmarks have already been submerged by the rising waters.
Map of the Wuxia Gorge Wuxia Gorge Pic

Qutang Gorge - It runs for 66 kilometres. Noted for numerous dangerous sections, with fast flowing currents. There is a broad valley in the middle which splits the gorge into two sections.
Map of the Qutang Gorge    Qutang Gorge Pic

History: The Yangtze River has been used for transporting goods for trade for much of Chinese history. Prior to the Three Gorges Dam, the river was known for its rapids and fast running waters, making water travel very difficult and dangerous. Since the water level has been elevated greatly by the Three Gorges Dam, thereby creating a large reservoir (lake) within the gorges, travel has been made much easier than the past. The rapids are now gone and large container ships carrying coal can move up and down the river to and from Chongqing to the East China Sea and out to any port in the world.

Before the Three Gorges Dam:

Without motor boats, Chinese junks (ships) depended upon "trackers" to pull boats up the Yangtze River rapids from the shoreline.

A junk in the rapids of the Yangtze River.

The trackers had to pull the boats from the rocky shoreline, making it a dangerous and difficult task.

Many times, boats were wrecked on the rocks in the river or on its shores.

After the Three Gorges Dam:

Deeper Waters - What was once rapids is now calm, deep, and easy to travel through.

Trackers for Tourism - Now, the only trackers work for tourists, pulling them up rapids in the tributaries of the Yangtze in smaller boats.

Trackers Up Close - Here's a close up of the tourist trackers. Imagine dozens more pulling the junks up the Yangtze.

The Coal Industry - Here is a coal loading station on the banks of the Yangtze River. Barges pull up to these areas and coal is loaded onboard. The coal is initially transported from mines by truck and dumped in these container areas.

Transporting Coal - Here's a coal barge carrying its load down river. The Chinese rely on coal to produce over 3/4 of their energy. Much of the river traffic consists of these ships. The Three Gorges Dam has made it easy to transport coal by river. The Three Gorges Dam provides clean energy versus the highly polluting coal burning plants.

Increased Trade - "Cargo transportation via the Three Gorges Dam increased to 44 million tons last year from 14.75 million tons in 2003." (Article) Cargo ships like this one are a common site and will only increase in volume with time. Below is an example of the trade in automobiles down the Yangtze River to the port in Shanghai. It's the largest container port in the world!

Photo Galleries:
Three Gorges Geography
Three Gorges Infrastructure
Three Gorges Life
Three Gorges River Traffic
Shennong Gorge (Tributary of Yangtze) and Trackers

Article:
The Shennong River Trackers: A Vanishing Way of Life

Websites for More Information:
BBC News: A Coal Dependent Future? (Includes great video clip)

PowerPoint:
Then & Now on the Yangtze River (Includes the Elliot Slides)

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