Yichang
Yichang
Yichang Overview
Yichang City of Hubei Province lies at the east end of the Xiling Gorge. A dividing point of the upper reach and middle reach, Yichang is one of the biggest ports along the Yangtze River with 230 kilometers (143 miles) of shoreline. The Three Gorges Project has gained the city more attention than ever. Together with the Gezhouba Water Control Project, Yichang will soon be the largest producer of hydroelectricity in China.
Covering an area of 21,083 square kilometers (5,209,723 acres), Yichang has a population of about 4 million. It has a subtropical monsoon climate, which is hot in summer and cold in winter. The yearly average temperature is around 15 degrees Centigrade (59F).The best seasons for visiting Yichang are spring and autumn.
Like many other cities in the Three Gorges region, Yichang is blessed with a long history of almost 2,000 years. In the Warring States Period (475-221), Yichang was the territory of the Chu Kingdom, where the Chu Culture once thrived. Celebrities such as Qu Yuan and Wang Zhaojun hail from Zigui County, and traces of the relics in the stories of Romance of the Three Kingdoms can be seen throughout the area.
In addition to its rich history, Yichang is also blessed with rich natural scenery. Sanyou Cavern, Huangling Temple, and many other scenic spots like Baima Cave (White Horse Cave), Taohua Village (Peach blossom Village), Jinshi Cave (Golden Lion Cave), Baiguoshu Waterfall, and Jade Spring Temple (Yuquan Temple) can all be found nearby.
Gezhouba Water Control Project
The Gezhouba Water Control Project is the first such project constructed on the main course of the Yangtze River. Going downstream on the Yangtze River for about 2,300 meters (1.4 miles) after passing through the Nanjin Pass, you see the Gezhouba Dam lying across the 2,200-meter-wide (1.36 miles wide) stretch of water. The dam is about 2,561 meters (1.6 miles) long making it the longest in the world. The Three Gorges Dam is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the Gezhouba Dam.
The Gezhouba Water Control Project is the Chinese people's first attempt at controlling the Yangtze River. The dam is composed of ship locks, power stations, sluice gates and silt-releasing sluices and took 18 years to build and was completed in 1988. The project combined electricity generation, navigation, flood control and irrigation and proved to be a great achievement.
Now the dam plays a significant role in many respects. There are three ship locks on the Gezhouba Dam, each being 280 meters long (306.2 yards) and 34 meters high (111.5 feet). 50 million tons of cargo goes through the waterway annually, each ship passing smoothly through the locks in 45 minutes. The 21 sets of turbines within the dam can produce about 157 billion kilowatt-hours each year. The dam's functions of flood control and irrigation ensure a safe life and good harvests in the surrounding areas and in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Visitors coming to visit the dam can view the electric model of the Gezhouba Water Control Project and the documentary film showing the cutting of the new course of the Yangtze River.
The Gezhouba Dam also serves as a bridge connecting the north and south bank of the river. With the top of the dam being 30 meters wide (32.8 yards), a highway, a railway and walkways have been constructed to form a main artery between the two banks.
Chinese Sturgeon Museum
The Chinese Sturgeon is one of the 27 species of sturgeon, a comparatively inferior fish belonging to transitional species. Having existed for nearly 140 million years, the sturgeon serves as a 'Living Fossil' for the study of evolution of earth. There are 8 sturgeon species living in China, among which the Chinese Sturgeon is found in the Yangtze River.
The Chinese Sturgeon is a large freshwater fish. An adult Chinese Sturgeon can become 4 meters (about 13 feet) long and weighs almost 500 kilogram (about 1,100 lbs). Its skeleton is made up of cartilage with five ranges of amour-like scales covering the overall body. Its spawning habitat is usually in turbulent fast waters. Thus, every summer and autumn, hordes of Chinese Sturgeons go against the current for about 3,000 kilometers (about 1,864 miles) to spawn in the Jinsha River. Several months later, they bring their offspring back to the East China Sea.
The Chinese Sturgeon Museum is located in the Yiling District of Yichang City in Hubei Province. In the 1980s, the construction of the Gezhouba Water Control System blocked the way up to Jinsha River. Thus in 1982, the government set up a Chinese Sturgeon research center to rescue the unique species, achieving good results. Consequently, the Chinese Sturgeon Museum was opened to the public in 1998.
Covering an area of 20,000 square meters (5 acres), the museum is comprised of several halls exhibiting living Chinese Sturgeons as well as other sturgeon species, sturgeon samples, crocodiles, tropical fish and other aquatic animals. A plant for reproducing and breeding sturgeon will be displayed soon. It is a great place to visit to learn about the nature and behavior of the rare species.
