As the longest gorge among the three, Wu Gorge extends for 46 km (28.6 miles) from Daning River in Wushan County Chongqing to Guandukou in Badong County Hubei. Wu Gorge, also named Da Xia (the Great Gorge), is known for the marvelous views of undulating mountains, grotesque peaks, and deep and serene valleys.
Major attractions along the Wu Gorge are Shennong Stream, Three Little Gorges, and Twelve Peaks. In addition, there are many natural wonders in Wu Gorges, including the Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge, Mouse Hole, Jianchuan Gorge, and Menshan Gorge.
Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge
The Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge is located near the Hengshi Stream in Wu Gorge. The thin cliffs near Hengshi Stream are crumpled due to the crustal movement and erode from Yangtze River. Looking from distance, the cliffs are like white scales, resembling the silver armors worn by soldier in ancient times. At the top of the cliffs, tawny limestone of helmet shape is just like the golden helmet worn by ancient soldiers. Therefore, people named the section of Wu Gorge Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge.
Mouse Hole
On the cliff of southern bank of Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge, there is a cave of about 3.6 yards high and 3.6 yards deep. A beige rock resembling a mouse standing on its hind legs is at the entrance of the cave, so the cave was named Mouse Hole. It is said at the time when Da Yu regulated floods (about 4,000 years ago), he came to Wu Gorge and found Yushan Mountain blocked the watercourse and the area was suffered from floods. Da Yu asked a mouse in Yushan Mountain to help him dig a hole on the mountain so that floods could be released. The mouse dug as hard as it could and finally a hole was dug on Yushan Mountain. Flood was released and so were the people of that area. The Mouse Hole we see today is believed to be the hole dug by the mouse 4,000 years ago.
Jianchuan Gorge
A valley not far from the Mouse Hole is called Jianchuan Gorge (meaning the gorge penetrated by an arrow). There is a five square meters hole close to the top of the mountain on the northern bank of Yangtze River. It is believed that the hole was not natural but was pierced by an arrow of Xiang Yu (a prominent military leader during the late Qin Dynasty (221BC - 207BC). During the contention between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang (the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty) in late Qin Dynasty, they held a contest of archery, and Xiang Yu pierced the ridge with an arrow. The arrow stuck in the opposite ridge. Today we can still see a stone column pointing to sky, which was believed to be turned from the arrow.
Menshan Gorge
Menshan Gorge (Gate Gorge) is located at Guandukou in Badong, the east end of Wu Gorge. The steep mountains in Menshan Gorge rise straight up from the bottom of the Yangtze River, as huge gates of the valley, hence the name Menshan Gorge. There is a movable stone slab in a cave on the northern bank, which is considered as a bolt of huge "gate", so the stone is called Bolt Stone. Menshan Gorge has long been difficult to access for ships since ancient times, so there are inscriptions on cliffs describing its dangerousness.
Along the riverside of Wu Gorge, there are also many famous cultural relics and historical sites, such as Luyou Ancient Cave, site of Goddess Temple, and Kong Ming Tablet. One of the most famous is Qiufeng Pavilion. In the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127), a famous prime minister named Kou Zhun had worked in Badong County as a magistrate for three years before he became a prime minister. He built the Qiufeng Pavilion in the old Badong County which is 40 km (24.8 miles) away from today's Badong County and had enjoyed beautiful views and wines as well as wrote poems during the three years. The Qiufeng Pavilion was considered an auspicious place after Kou Zhun was promoted to a prime minister. Since then, each magistrate of Badong County would go to Qiufeng Pavilion to have a drink, read poems, and stay for one night to wish for good luck for their official careers.
