The Three Gorges without a cruise: White Emperor City, Wushan and Shibaozhai from Chongqing

Quick answer

Checked September 2026.

You can see part of them, but we don't suggest a same-day return. Qutang Gorge, the westernmost of the Yangtze's Three Gorges, and a stretch of Wu Gorge are in Fengjie and Wushan, two counties in the north-east corner of Chongqing. Xiling Gorge and the Three Gorges Dam are in Yichang, Hubei. By high-speed train from Chongqing North, the fastest trains take 1 hour 40 minutes to Fengjie and 1 hour 54 minutes to Wushan (checked for trains on 14 October 2026). Over two or three days you can see Kuimen from White Emperor City (the view on the back of the 10-yuan note) and take a boat through the Lesser Three Gorges at Wushan. To add Shibaozhai, you need to go by car. This suits people who don't have time for a three- or four-day cruise but still want to see the Three Gorges for themselves.

We can put Fengjie and Wushan into your private trip. Send us your dates and how many of you there are. We plan the route around the trains and the scenic area notices for those days, and our licensed English-speaking guide stays with you the whole way (a Mandarin-speaking guide can also be arranged). WhatsApp us

The vehicle is matched to your group size. Two people plus the guide ride in a 7-seat vehicle, and so do 3–4 people. 5–6 people ride in a 9-seat vehicle, and 7–8 people in a 15-seat vehicle. For a bigger group, tell us how many of you there are and we match the vehicle to your numbers. If you have a lot of luggage, tell us how many large suitcases you have and we match the vehicle to your bags.

Which parts of the Three Gorges can you see without a cruise?

The Three Gorges run for about 193 km, from White Emperor City in Fengjie in the west to Nanjinguan in Yichang, Hubei, in the east. From upstream to downstream they are Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. Without a cruise, you can see three things inside Chongqing: Qutang Gorge (8 km long; look down on it from White Emperor City and the Three Gorges Summit, or ride through it on a local passenger boat), the stretch of Wu Gorge near Wushan town, and the Lesser Three Gorges on the Daning River, a branch of the Yangtze. Xiling Gorge and the Three Gorges Dam are in Hubei and need to be planned separately.

• Qutang Gorge: the shortest, narrowest and most perilous of the three. Its west end is Kuimen, where two mountains face each other with the river squeezed between them. People of old called it “Kuimen, the mightiest under heaven”.
• Wu Gorge: it starts at the mouth of the Daning River in Wushan (which is also the south end of the Lesser Three Gorges) and runs east. On the Wushan side, the Wu Gorge · Goddess scenic area is a national 4A site, and Goddess Peak is on this stretch.
• Lesser Three Gorges: not the Yangtze itself, but three gorges on the Daning River, a branch of the Yangtze. They are much narrower than the Three Gorges, and boats can run close to the cliffs. Many people go to Wushan just for them.
• What you can't see: Xiling Gorge and the Three Gorges Dam are both in Yichang, Hubei. For how to see the dam, see the FAQ on this page and boarding a Three Gorges cruise in Chongqing.

Cruise or overland: the differences (checked September 2026)

The cruise lengths and winter schedules come from our guide to boarding a Three Gorges cruise, which goes into more detail.

How do you get from Chongqing to Fengjie and Wushan?

The high-speed train is fastest. The Zhengzhou–Chongqing high-speed railway opened in full on 20 June 2022, and Fengjie and Wushan have had high-speed stations since then. Today the fastest trains from Chongqing North (a few start from Chongqing West) take 1 hour 40 minutes to Fengjie and 1 hour 54 minutes to Wushan, with more than ten trains a day to each. Between Fengjie and Wushan it is only about 20 minutes. You can also go in our car. The drive takes the better part of a day each way, but you can stop at Shibaozhai on the way. Zhong County, where Shibaozhai is, has no high-speed station, so you can only get there by road.

High-speed trains between Chongqing and Fengjie or Wushan (12306, for travel on Wednesday 14 October 2026)

• Most trains use Chongqing North station, and a few start from Chongqing West, so check the station when you buy. Trains from Chongqing West have further to go: about 2 hours 20 minutes to Fengjie, and about 2 hours 25 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes to Wushan. Tickets cost a little more too. Chongqing North has a South Square and a North Square; go to the one on your ticket (see the Chongqing metro guide).
• The last trains back from Wushan and Fengjie reach Chongqing North at around 23:30, so you can stay until early evening and still get back.
• Train times change with the railway timetable. Go by what 12306 shows for your travel date.

Is White Emperor City worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you want to see Kuimen with your own eyes. White Emperor City is on White Emperor Hill, a little over 10 km east of Fengjie town, facing the west end of Qutang Gorge. The picture on the back of the 10-yuan note in the fifth series of Chinese banknotes is Kuimen, right here. Since the Three Gorges reservoir was filled to 175 m, White Emperor City has had water on all sides and has become an island in the river. It is part of the national 5A White Emperor City · Qutang Gorge scenic area. It opened to visitors in 1978, one of the first sites in China opened to the outside world.

What to see at White Emperor City

1. Kuimen: at the west end of Qutang Gorge, two mountains hold the river between them. Stand at White Emperor City and look east, and you see the scene on the back of the 10-yuan note. Many people bring a 10-yuan note and take a photo of it held up against Kuimen.
2. White Emperor Temple: on top of White Emperor Hill, it is the most important group of old buildings at White Emperor City (White Emperor City was listed as a major national heritage site in 2006). The temple's Mingliang Hall was rebuilt in the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty, and holds seated statues of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
3. Liu Bei entrusts his son: in the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bei fell back here after losing a battle. On his deathbed he left his son and his kingdom in the care of Zhuge Liang. It is one of the Three Kingdoms stories Chinese people know best.
4. Forest of Steles: more than 70 famous stone tablets from the Sui and Tang dynasties onwards, shown together in the two side galleries of the temple.
5. “City of Poetry”: Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi all came to or lived in Fengjie. Li Bai's poem that begins “At dawn I left White Emperor City among the coloured clouds” is about setting off from here.
6. Where the name comes from: at the end of the Western Han dynasty, Gongsun Shu built a city here. In AD 25 he called himself the “White Emperor”, so the city became White Emperor City. In 1533, the twelfth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, the temple was changed to honour Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang.
7. The north bank of Qutang Gorge: the Laoguan Temple, the Daxi Culture site, an old plank road and the hanging coffins of Fengxiang Gorge are all in the gorge. The official description says this stretch “sums up 2 million years of human development in China”.

Before you go

• Opening hours (from the scenic area's booking notice of 30 April 2025 and its travel guide of 29 April 2026; check the latest notice before you go): the gates open at 07:40, entry stops at 17:30, and the site closes at 19:00. The shuttle boats inside the site run 08:00–18:00.
• You must book before you can go in. The same notice says both White Emperor City · Qutang Gorge and the Three Gorges Summit need booking, and White Emperor City · Qutang Gorge takes up to 20,000 bookings a day. You can book up to 15 days ahead, and for the same day at least 1 hour ahead. The notice says you go in with an ID card and the booking QR code. It does not say how to book with a foreign passport, so we check first when we book for you. For ticket prices, go by the scenic area's notice on the day; we book at the actual price. For ID rules, see Chongqing attraction tickets and passports.

Should you go up to the Three Gorges Summit?

If the weather is good and you want to see the whole of Qutang Gorge from above in one view, it is worth it. The Three Gorges Summit is on top of Chijia Mountain, on the north side of Kuimen, at about 1,388 m. It and White Emperor City are two linked scenic areas. You go up by sightseeing bus or cable car, so there is no climbing (scenic area notice of 30 April 2025: sightseeing buses 08:00–19:00, cable car 08:30–18:30; the Three Gorges Summit also needs booking).

• Skip the hiking trail unless you really love climbing: a hiking trail goes up from the Chijia Tower at White Emperor City. The official rule is uphill only, with no turning back, and the Chijia Tower ticket gate closes at 12:00 noon. It is a mountain path that climbs the whole way. If your knees are not good, ride up.
• Long holidays such as Spring Festival and May Day bring visitor limits: in Spring Festival 2026, White Emperor City was fully booked by the afternoon of 19 February, and the Three Gorges Summit and the hiking trail put out visitor-limit notices one after another. Over May Day, the Three Gorges Summit limited visitors again on two days (3 and 4 May). If you go during a long holiday, book early and set off early.
• The cable car closes for maintenance: from 8 to 13 March 2026, the cable car stopped for 6 days of required maintenance. On those days the only way up was the sightseeing bus.

What are the Lesser Three Gorges at Wushan, and how long is the boat trip?

The Lesser Three Gorges are three gorges on the Daning River, a branch of the Yangtze, in Wushan County: Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge and Dicui Gorge. They run for 50 km, from the west end of Wu Gorge in the south to Tujiaba in the north, and were among China's first national 5A scenic areas. You go in by boat from Wushan town, and the whole trip takes about 4 hours. On the Madu River, a side stream beside Dicui Gorge, there is an even narrower set called the “Mini Three Gorges” (Changtan, Qinwang and Sancheng gorges, 15 km in all).

What to see from the boat

1. Longmen Gorge: the first gorge as you go in from Wushan town. The official highlights include Longmen Bridge and the old Longmen fort.
2. Holes of the old plank road: rows of square holes in the cliffs along the Daning River. The county records say Liu Yan of the Tang dynasty had them cut to bring water from the salt springs. You can still see them clearly.
3. Hanging coffins of the Ba people: high on the sheer cliffs of Bawu Gorge, coffins of the ancient Ba people hang on the rock. How they were put up there is still a mystery.
4. Monkeys: the official introduction says groups of monkeys are often seen climbing and playing in the trees on the cliffs.
5. Dicui Gorge: the third of the Lesser Three Gorges. The Mini Three Gorges are on the Madu River, a side stream of this gorge.
6. Mini Three Gorges: smaller and prettier than the Lesser Three Gorges, which is where the name comes from.
7. Dachang old town: at the far end of the Lesser Three Gorges. It was moved as a whole and rebuilt, and keeps its Ming and Qing layout.

Tip: at the Wushan stop on a cruise, many ships also move passengers onto small boats for the Lesser Three Gorges (see boarding a Three Gorges cruise). If you have already booked a cruise, you don't need to come again by land.

Can you go through Qutang Gorge on the river without a cruise?

Yes. A local passenger boat runs between Fengjie and Wushan. It is painted red, and locals call it the “little red boat”. It makes one round trip in the morning and one in the afternoon each day, takes about 3.5 hours each way, and goes right through Kuimen and Qutang Gorge. It started as a “water bus” for villagers along the river going to market and selling navel oranges. In the last couple of years, more and more visitors have been riding it: over the May Day holiday in 2026, Fengjie added extra sailings, and by 4 May the route had carried more than 7,000 visitors.

• It is not a sightseeing cruise: the seats are simple. Once out of Qutang Gorge, it pulls in wherever someone is waiting on the bank, and plenty of the people getting on and off are villagers carrying baskets on their backs. If you want to see real life along the gorges, this is the most direct way.
• There is one for Wu Gorge too: from Wushan downstream to Peishi, there is also one sailing each morning and one each afternoon, through Wu Gorge. To go on to Badong in Hubei, you change to a Hubei boat at the Chongqing–Hubei border.
• Busy on holidays: during long holidays, get to the pier early.

How do you fit in Shibaozhai?

Shibaozhai is on the north bank of the Yangtze in Zhong County, about 32 km from the county town. It is a red wooden tower built against the cliff of Yuyin Hill, 12 storeys and about 56 m high. It is a national 4A scenic area and a major national heritage site, and it is more than 400 years old. Since the Three Gorges reservoir filled, it has had water on all sides and has become a “bonsai in the river”. Zhong County has no high-speed station, so you can only get there by road. Zhong County is in the heart of the Three Gorges reservoir area, with Wanzhou just to the north, on the Yangtze route from central Chongqing to Fengjie. If you go to Fengjie in our car, it can be a stop on the way.

• The climb takes energy: the stairs inside the tower are steep, and you climb up one floor at a time.
• Where the name comes from: Yuyin Hill rises alone from the ground with sheer sides. Legend says it is a five-coloured stone left over when the goddess Nüwa mended the sky, so it was called “Shibao” (stone treasure). At the end of the Ming and the start of the Qing, the rebel leader Tan Hong set up camp here, so it also came to be called “Shibaozhai” (Shibao fort).
• Who it suits: people going to Fengjie by car, as a stop on the way. If you only take the train, it is not on your route.

How many days do you need, and how should you plan them?

Two days and one night at the least; three days and two nights is more relaxed. We don't suggest a same-day return. The fastest train to Fengjie takes 1 hour 40 minutes, so the round trip takes at least 3 hours 20 minutes, before you count the ride from the station to the sights. In one day you would only have time for a quick look at White Emperor City. The boat trip through the Lesser Three Gorges takes about 4 hours and won't fit into the same day. Two days is enough for White Emperor City, Kuimen and the Lesser Three Gorges. With three, you can add the Three Gorges Summit, the local boat on the river or Shibaozhai.

Two ways to plan it (a sample; times depend on the trains and scenic area notices on the day)

How it fits into your Chongqing trip: the day before you set off, visit the Three Gorges Museum in the city (see our Three Gorges Museum guide). Seeing the Three Gorges in the museum first makes Kuimen easier to understand when you get there. On the evening you come back, stay in the city again, and carry on with Wulong or Dazu the next day. For full itineraries, see our Chongqing itinerary and how many days in Chongqing.

When is the best time to go?

Late November to the end of December is best, for the red leaves. The Wushan International Red Leaf Festival has been held every year since 2007. In 2025, the 19th festival opened on 22 November and ran until the end of December. The official line was that Wushan's 1.2 million mu of red leaves were at their best then, and you could see them from the boats in the Lesser Three Gorges and on the Goddess Stream. The 2026 dates have not been announced yet; last year they were announced at a press event in mid-November.

• Spring and autumn: comfortable temperatures, good for going up the Three Gorges Summit and walking around White Emperor City.
• Avoid long holidays: May Day, National Day and Spring Festival are the busiest. In Spring Festival and May Day 2026, White Emperor City and the Three Gorges Summit both put out visitor-limit notices. You always need to book before you go in, and on long holidays you should book even earlier.
• Red leaf season is also high season: the authorities add more direct buses to the scenic areas, and during the festival the Three Gorges Longji and Wu Gorge · Goddess scenic areas are free (these were the 2025 arrangements; for 2026, go by that year's notice).
• For the weather month by month, see the best time to visit Chongqing.

Is it a good trip for older travellers?

Yes, if it is planned right. On the Lesser Three Gorges and the local river boat, you sit and watch. At the Three Gorges Summit you go up by sightseeing bus or cable car, not the hiking trail. White Emperor Temple is on top of White Emperor Hill, with a stretch of steps to walk, and the guide plans around your energy and pace. At Shibaozhai you climb 12 floors, one after another; anyone who has trouble walking can look from the foot of the tower and the riverside. The high-speed train takes about two hours and is more comfortable than going by car.

• Our car takes you between stations, piers and sights, so there is less walking.
• How far you walk each day and how long you rest are planned around the older travellers' energy.
• For more, see our Chongqing guide for older travellers.

Cruise or overland?

It depends on how many days you have, and whether you want to see it all or just the highlights. If you want to see all three gorges and the dam in one go and don't want to change hotels, take a cruise. If you only have two or three days, want to sleep on shore every night, or want to see the red leaves from late November into December, go overland.

Which to choose: six cases

1. Only two or three days → go overland: Fengjie and Wushan in two days and one night.
2. You want to see Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges and the dam in one go → take a cruise.
3. Travelling between December and March → check the cruise schedule first; the high-speed trains run as normal.
4. Red leaves from late November into December → go overland and see them by boat at Wushan.
5. You don't want to sleep on a ship and want a hotel on shore every night → go overland.
6. You have already booked a cruise, and the ship doesn't stop at White Emperor City or charges extra for it → no need to go overland as well; read your ship's itinerary carefully.

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