Yichang 宜昌

The dam, Qu Yuan's hometown, and the pier where the Yangtze cruises leave.

1–2 days2 h by trainBest Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

Plan Yichang

See

坝

Three Gorges Dam三峡大坝

Free + ¥35 shuttleApr–Jun, Sep–Nov

The largest power station on Earth, 2.3 km across the Yangtze. Stand on Tanziling hill to see the whole wall, then watch a ship rise 113 m in the ship lift.

艾

Qu Yuan Temple, Zigui秭归屈原祠

¥60Dragon Boat Festival (June)

The hometown shrine of Qu Yuan, the poet whose drowning in 278 BC is why the world races dragon boats and eats zongzi every summer.

Eat

凉

Yichang Liangxia宜昌凉虾

not spicy¥3–6Yichang

Not shrimp at all: tiny rice-flour droplets shaped like shrimp, served ice-cold in brown-sugar water. Yichang's summer street drink.

Do, with a local

秭

Zongzi wrapping in Zigui秭归包粽子

with a Zigui familyfrom ¥199

Learn the four-corner fold from a family below the dam, where the festival began.

Stay

Yichang riverside宜昌滨江

Dam day tripCruise departures

Base for the dam, Qu Yuan Temple and Yangtze cruises. Stay along the river in the city centre, not near the East station.

Yiling Square / Jiefang Road riverside
Cruise-line partner hotels if boarding a ship

Foreign passports: City-centre chains are fine. Cruise ships handle registration for you on board.

Guides

Wuhan to the Three Gorges Dam: Trains, Tickets, and What to See in Yichang

6 min

Checked by GoHubei local editors · September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us.