Wu Gorge

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 its marvelous views of undulating mountains, grotesque peaks and deep serene valleys.

Major attractions along the Wu Gorge include 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, the Mouse Hole, Jianchuan Gorge, and Menshan Gorge.

 Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge
The Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge is located near Hengshi Stream in Wu Gorge. The thin cliffs near Hengshi Stream are crumpled due to erosion from the Yangtze River and the movement of the earth’s crust. As seen from a distance, the cliffs are like white scales, resembling the silver armor worn by soldiers in ancient times. At the top of the cliffs, a tawny limestone outcropping in the shape of a helmet looks 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 a cliff on the southern bank of the Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge there is a cave about 3.6 yards high and 3.6 yards deep. A beige rock resembling a mouse standing on its hind legs is guards the entrance of the cave so the cave was named Mouse Hole. It is said that when Yu the Great regulated the floods (about 4,000 years ago), he came to Wu Gorge and found Yushan Mountain blocking the watercourse and the area suffering from floods. Yu the Great asked a mouse in Yushan Mountain to help him dig a hole on the mountain so the flood water could be released. The mouse dug as hard as it could and finally completed a drainage hole. The flood waters were released and the people of that area rejoiced. The Mouse Hole we see today is believed to be the hole dug by the mouse 4,000 years ago.

 Jianchuan Gorge 
Jianchuan Gorge (meaning the gorge penetrated by an arrow) is a valley not far from the Mouse Hole. Here there is a five square meters hole close to the top of the mountain on the northern bank of the Yangtze River. It is believed that this hole was not natural but was created when the mountain side was pierced by an arrow shot by Xiang Yu (a prominent military leader during the late Qin Dynasty (221BC - 207BC)). During an archery contest between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang (the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty) in late Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu pierced the ridge with an arrow. Today we can still see a stone column pointing to the sky where the arrow is believed to have turned to stone.

 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 like huge gates of the valley. Hence the name Menshan Gorge. There is a movable stone slab in a cave on the northern bank that is thought to be a bolt of the huge “gate”. The stone became known as Bolt Stone. Since ancient times, ships have had difficulty navigating Menshan Gorge, and there are inscriptions on the cliffs walls warning of its danger.

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 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. Here he enjoyed beautiful views and fine wines as well as wrote poems during his three years as magistrate. The Qiufeng Pavilion was considered an auspicious place after Kou Zhun was promoted to a prime minister. Since then, each magistrate of Badong County had gone to Qiufeng Pavilion to have a drink, read poems, and stay for one night in the hope that the visit will bring good luck for their official careers.

 Wu Gorge Map

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