Yichang, Hubei: More Than Just the Three Gorges!
Vanke Yichang Vanke & Three Gorges Daily & Planet Institute
A city with the "Three Gorges"
It boasts not only the "natural Three Gorges"
The "King of Canyons" in the hearts of countless Chinese
(The Yangtze Three Gorges consist of Wu Gorge, Qutang Gorge, and Xiling Gorge, with Xiling Gorge located in Yichang, Wu Gorge in Enshi and Chongqing, and Qutang Gorge in Chongqing; the image below shows Xiling Gorge, please view horizontally, photographer @ Wang Zhengkun)
The undisputed champion of modern China's water conservancy and hydropower projects
(Please view horizontally, the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project, photographer @ Song Xueyan)
Reflection Gorge, Kongtong Gorge, Linglong Gorge, and others
(Qingjiang Gorge, photographer @ Luo Hao)
Gezhouba Dam, Geheyan Dam, Gaobazhou Dam, and others
Over 460 hydropower stations towering majestically
7% of the nation's hydropower installed capacity
(Geheyan Hydropower Station, photographer @ Luo Hao)
Surveying the Yangtze River stretching over 6,000 kilometers
It is almost impossible to find another city like Yichang
That combines breathtaking landscapes, mega-projects, and a modern metropolis
Towering mountains and roaring rivers
Bring forth the primordial power to reshape the world
The Daba Mountains, Wushan Mountains, and Wuling Mountains to the west
Extend eastward and descend into the Jianghan Plain
(Yichang in the transitional zone, mapped by Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute)
Forming the towering western mountains
Covering over 70% of the city's total area
(Topographic map of Yichang, mapped by Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute)
Here, peaks rise one after another, competing in grandeur
There are 54 mountains with elevations above 2,000 meters
Among them, Xiannü Mountain is the highest peak in the region
(Xiannü Mountain in Xingshan, photographed by Wei Qiyang)
Mountains with elevations above 1,000 meters
Tianzhu Mountain at 1,380 meters
"A solitary peak stands tall, soaring from the earth to the sky"
(The text is from the Tongzhi edition of the "Changyang County Annals," Qing Dynasty; below is Tianzhu Mountain in Changyang, photographed by Luo Hao)
The mountains gradually transition into low hills
Then comes the vast Jianghan Plain
(Fertile plains in Yichang, photographed by Li Li)
Frequent clashes between warm, moist air and cold fronts
Combined with moisture forced upward by the mountains
Create a humid climate with lingering mist
(Misty mountains, photographed by Li Xinkuan)
Annual rainfall can reach 1,500 millimeters
(Three Gorges Grand Waterfall, standing at 102 meters tall, is 30 meters higher than Huangguoshu Waterfall, making it the highest waterfall in Hubei Province. Photographer: @Walking Song Song)
Or flowing along the surface of carbonate rocks
Eroding into the "thousand peaks and towering cliffs" of stone forests
(Yidu Ordovician Stone Forest, photographer: @Walking Song Song)
(Please view horizontally, the peak cluster in Chaibuxi, photographer: @Wei Qiyang)
(Tianlong Cloud Cave in Chexi Scenic Area, photographer: @Wei Qiyang)
Combined with an elevation difference of over 2,300 meters
Yichang thrives with lush vegetation and abundant wildlife
Massive water volume coupled with immense elevation changes
The kinetic energy of the rivers becomes unstoppable
Creating majestic and spectacular canyon landscapes
(Distribution map of Yichang's river systems, cartography: @Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute)
Converging the territories of Yichang and Enshi
(The meandering Qingjiang River, photographer: @Chen Xiaoyang)
Crafting picturesque and poetic scenery
(Please view horizontally, Hundred-Island Lake in Qingjiang Gallery, photographer: @Chen Xiaoyang)
The ancient Yangtze River and ancient Chuanjiang River were divided by the Wushan Mountains
From then on, the two ancient rivers merged into the Yangtze River
(Illustration of the Yangtze Three Gorges breakthrough. The timing of Wushan's breakthrough is highly debated in academia, ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of thousands of years ago. Cartography: @Zheng Borong, Feng Chenyu & Chen Zhihao/Planet Research Institute)
Creating China's most renowned canyon landscape
namely the Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge
the longest gorge among the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River
(Please view horizontally: the winding Xiling Gorge, photographer @ Zhang Chengsheng)
(The waterway of Xiling Gorge, where water levels have risen due to the Three Gorges Project, submerging many reefs and rapids, photographer @ Wang Zhengkun)
(The cliffs of Xiling Gorge, photographer @ Li Feng)
Even within such magnificent Xiling Gorge
there are further sections like the Dengying Gorge, Huangniu Gorge
Niugan Mafei Gorge, and Bingshu Baojian Gorge
forming a unique landscape of "gorges within gorges"
(Bingshu Baojian Gorge at the mouth of Xiling Gorge, photographer @ Li Xinkuan)
with over 30 named sections
(Distribution of major gorges in Yichang City, mapped by @ Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute)
Leveraging the sloping terrain and abundant water flow
it creates a diverse gallery of landscapes
while also storing immense energy
Releasing this stored energy
to continuously drive turbines with hydropower
which then generates electricity through generators
Across Yichang's 180 rivers
numerous hydropower stations have been built
The total number has now exceeded 460.
(The above river count only includes those with a basin area over 30 square kilometers; the image below shows the distribution of hydropower stations in Yichang City, mapped by Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute.)
The total exploitable hydropower potential of its entire basin reaches 3.29 million kilowatts.
To unleash this hydropower potential,
people have built dams in the winding Qingjiang Gorge.
The dam is 27 meters high, with a crest nearly 420 meters long.
(Gaobazhou Hydropower Station, with an installed capacity of 252,000 kilowatts, photo by Li Yunfei.)
The dam is 151 meters high, with a crest 665 meters long.
(Geheyan Hydropower Station, with an installed capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts, photo by Chen Xiaoyang.)
The river richest in hydropower resources in China.
According to China's hydropower resource survey data,
the Yangtze River alone stores
nearly 40% of the nation's hydropower resources.
This accounts for 82% of the Yangtze's total hydropower potential.
It is further divided into two distinct parts.
Among them, the Jinsha River's drop far exceeds that of the Chuanjiang.
(Elevation profile of the Yangtze River's main stream, mapped by Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute.)
Along its course, it receives the Jinsha River, Yalong River,
Min River, Jialing River, Dadu River, and Wu River.
Its drainage area reaches 1 million square kilometers.
Equivalent to 1/10 of the country's land area
With an average runoff of up to 14,300 m³/s
(Drainage area of the Yangtze River section above Yichang, map by Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Institute)
Ranking second among the major river sections nationwide
(Ranking of developable hydropower potential in China's major river sections, map by Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Institute)
(The following lines are from Du Fu's "Two Poems of the Yangtze River")
"Countless waters converge at Fuling and Wanzhou, competing to pass through Qutang's single gate"
Effectively alleviating flood control pressure in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River
Protecting the lives and property of tens of millions of people
(Three Gorges flood discharge, photo by Li Xinkuan)
The plan to develop the hydropower potential of the Three Gorges
(The following lines are from Mao Zedong's "Prelude to Water Melody · Swimming")
"A high gorge forms a level lake, astonishing the world with its transformation"
The Yangtze River's Three Gorges stretch for 193 kilometers
Where exactly should this project be built?
A broad river valley was discovered within Yichang's territory
Exposing hard and intact granite bedrock
And within a 320-kilometer radius
Coupled with ample space conducive to construction
Making it an exceptionally advantageous dam site
The internationally renowned geologist L. Leopold Müller once praised,
"The Three Gorges dam site is a good one bestowed by God upon the Chinese people."
(Distribution of granite in Yichang City, map by Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute)
Chinese engineers first began in 1970
at a location 27 kilometers downstream from Sandouping
to construct another hydropower station
(Please view horizontally, the positional relationship between Gezhouba and the Three Gorges, base map from Esri Image Map, annotations by Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute)
Not only did it raise the upstream water level to facilitate navigation
but also utilized the river section below Sandouping
The Gezhouba Project, known as the "First Dam on the Long River"
Its Yangtze River closure, navigation, and lock construction
(Please view horizontally, Gezhouba Water Control Project, with a total dam length of 2,606 meters, photographer Li Li)
People then built another magnificent dam
It stretches 2,309 meters in total length with a maximum dam height of 181 meters
Consuming over 16 million cubic meters of concrete alone
(Three Gorges Dam under construction, photographer Wei Qiyang)
Two giant powerhouses, each 87 meters high, were also constructed
Followed by the installation of 32 large generating units
With a total installed capacity of 22.5 million kilowatts
(Three Gorges Power Station powerhouse, photographer Song Song Tongxie)
The world's largest water conservancy project
(Aerial view of the Three Gorges Dam, photographer @XingYingBuLi)
To the Gezhouba Dam, the first dam on the Yangtze River
And then to the world-renowned Three Gorges Project
Plus more than 460 other hydropower stations of varying sizes
On this land that accounts for only 0.2% of the country's area
It is equipped with 7% of the nation's hydropower capacity
Clean electricity is continuously transmitted to
Central China, East China, South China, Sichuan-Chongqing, and other regions
Benefiting more than half of the country's population
The release of hydropower will also fully ignite Yichang
An important passage connecting Bashu and Jingchu
Yichang, blessed with water resources and formidable terrain
(The following text comes from the stone gate couplet at Baidicheng)
"Commanding Bashu in the west, gathering myriad valleys; linking Jingchu in the east, towering over mountains"
There were both "attacking Chu, capturing Ying, and burning Yiling"
And being burned in a 700-li chain of camps
(The above quotes are from "Records of the Grand Historian: Biography of Bai Qi"; Yichang, anciently called Yiling, was named for its terrain where "waters calm here and mountains level here." The image below shows the ancient battlefield of Xiaoting, provided by Yang Qing from Xiaoting District Culture and Tourism Bureau.)
Literary figures like Li Bai and Bai Juyi
(Sanyou Cave, previously visited by Tang poets Bai Juyi, Bai Xingjian, and Yuan Zhen, known as the "Former Three You"; later visited by Song poets Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Zhe, known as the "Latter Three You." Photographer @Zhou Zifan)
One of the treaty ports in mainland China
Yichang also became a transit base for personnel transporting emergency supplies
Traditionally winding, rapid-flowing, narrow, and treacherous
Thus, large downstream vessels had to switch to smaller boats in Yichang
Lu Zuofu, general manager of Minsheng Company, personally led the team
Mobilizing over 2,000 vessels of various types
Successfully transporting 1.5 million tons of materials and 3.61 million people in time
(Monument to the Yichang Retreat, photographer @Walking Song Song)
Transportation construction across the country was in full swing
Especially for the preparation of the Gezhouba Dam project
The Yayi Railway, a branch of the Jiaoliu Railway, was built
Enabling Yichang to enter the railway era
Submerging up to 19 upstream shoals
The maximum width of the waterway increased to 700 meters
(Cargo ships on the river, photographer @Li Li)
Truly unleashing the potential of the "Golden Waterway"
As the river level rose and the flow slowed
Over 130 shoals in the Three Gorges were submerged
The 600-plus-kilometer waterway in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River
Coordinated operation of ship lifts and double-line locks
The navigational capacity of the Yangtze River waterway is becoming increasingly robust
3,000-ton vessels and 10,000-ton fleets
In 2020 alone, the Three Gorges Hub handled a freight volume of
(The five-level ship locks of the Three Gorges Project, photographer: Li Xinkuan)
As a supporting project of the Three Gorges Project
The Three Gorges Airport was completed and put into operation in 1995
Thus, Yichang entered the era of aviation
Three-tower inverted Y-shaped stiffened girder cable-stayed bridge
(Yiling Yangtze River Bridge, photographer: Yan Benhong)
A combination of suspension bridge and cable-stayed bridge
(Please view horizontally, Zhiqi Yangtze River Bridge, the left half is a suspension bridge, the right half is a cable-stayed bridge, the island in the middle is Xiba, photographer: Liu Kun)
Yichang's topographic constraints are gradually being overcome
Highways and railways traverse mountains and ridges
(Yichang-Wanzhou Railway Yangtze River Bridge, the Yichang-Wanzhou Railway is part of the Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu Passenger Dedicated Line, photographer: Zhou Zifan)
Railways, water transport, aviation, and highways are increasingly well-developed
Yichang's hub advantage of connecting east-west and spanning north-south
(Yichang City transportation location map, cartography: Chen Zhihao & Yang Ning/Planet Research Institute)
(Fruit farmers returning with a full harvest, photographer: Wei Qiyang)
(Tea plantations in Zigui County, photographer: Wei Qiyang)
(Yichang Shipbuilding Industrial Park, photographer: Li Feng)
(Pearl River Group's piano production line, photographer: Fu Beibei)
In recent years, GDP has exceeded 400 billion yuan
Rivaling provincial capitals like Guiyang and Taiyuan
(Yichang's GDP growth curve from 2005 to 2020, chart by Yang Ning/Planet Labs)
Yichang boasts a forest coverage rate of 65.7%
Ranking first among 27 cities along the Yangtze River
(Yichang's riverside park, photographer: Huang Xianjun)
Where you might encounter finless porpoises playing with fish
(Finless porpoises and fish in the Yangtze River, photographer: Lei Jiping)
(Xiangxi River's water highway, built to avoid mountain destruction and deforestation, photographer: Li Li)
Witness the collision of modern transportation and ancient architecture
(High-speed train and Natural Tower in one frame, photographer: Huang Xianjun)
And ignited unique geographical advantages
Yichang's potential has been gradually unleashed
Ultimately converging to create this soaring city
Along the 6,300-kilometer Yangtze River
It's almost impossible to find another city like Yichang
That gathers so many unexpected elements
Planet Labs, in collaboration with Yichang Vanke and Three Gorges Daily
Produced Yichang's latest city promotional video
(Please click to watch Yichang's latest city promotional video "Unexpected Yichang")
(Three Gorges Dam flood discharge, photographer @ Li Xinkuan)
(Yichang Olympic Sports Center, photographer @ Liu Kun)
(Zhixi Yangtze River Bridge, photographer @ Tang Yongli)
(Please view horizontally, Yichang city surrounded by mountains and rivers, photographer @ Huang Dandan)
Proofreaders: Yunwu Kongcheng, Li Xueli & Zheng Yi
[1] Yichang Local Chronicles Compilation Committee. "Yichang City Chronicles (1979-2000)", Local Records Press, 2012
[2] Yichang Bureau of Natural Resources. "Yichang Natural Resources Chronicles", 2009
[3] "Beautiful Yichang" Editorial Board. "Yichang Scenery and Culture", Wuhan Publishing House, 2015
[4] "100 Questions About the Three Gorges", Popular Science Press, 2012
[5] Zhang Lixian. "Stone Walls Stand by the Western River: A True Record of China's Three Gorges Project Decision-Making and Construction", Changjiang Press, 2010
[6] "History of Hydropower in China", China Electric Power Press, 2006