The Magnificent Three Gorges

Cruising the Three Gorges was something I've wanted to do since grade school (yeah, we're hitting A LOT of bucket list items this trip) and while the scenery is different from my textbooks (I'm definitely older than the dam) - it was still worthy of the title: Magnificent!



The Three Gorges is a place of legend... and while some of that misty legend has been lost to the Three Gorges Dam - it is still a beautiful area full of green mountains and winding river.. there are still a few hanging coffins and people still try to maintain the old ways where they can...

The rocky line among the bottom of the mountains is the highest water level at 137 meters. We were there before the rainy season and therefore the water was about 1-2 meters lower than the highest point

To help illustrate the difference that the Three Gorges Dam Project made to the water level.. here are two pictures:

This first picture is the modern picture of the recently NEW bridge taken whilst cruising the river:

This next picture is me taking a picture of a original photo (in a book, left hand side) of the ORIGINAL bridge that existed before the dam project.. 

Key Note: The original bridge's foundations is just visible above the new waterline today. About where the stone/greenery line is:

I thought that the difference is amazing... and sad. It is for this reason that I feel like the area has lost some of its misty charm and mystery... the mountains are not as tall and imposing over the river.. and there is much more water which makes it almost more 'lake like' since the river is now much too deep to have rapids or any visible currents.

One of the hanging coffins found along the river.. many have been removed, but this one is still intact

Another vessel on the river along with one of the new bridges

A "sleepy" Lesser Gorge city.. most of the crops being grown on the hills are green tea leaves, some of the best and least polluted in all of China. There is a growing market for the leaves from this region, uniquely called "Longevity Tea"