The Daning River is one of the main tributaries of Yangtze River, with a total length of about 250 kilometers (155 miles). The river is relatively small, and the three gorges situated along the clean, green water exceed the Yangtze’s Three Gorges in beauty and tranquility. Thus the Three Little Gorges also known as the Lesser Three Gorges have gained their popularity nationwide.

Drifting against the Daning River tide, you come across Longmen Gorge (Dragon Gate Gorge), Bawu Gorge (Misty Gorge) and Dicui Gorge (Emerald Green Gorge). The gorges stretch along the river from north to south for 50 kilometers (31 miles). Waterfalls are found among the green covered mountains. This is a natural scenic backdrop for photography. With the filling of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the water surface of the Daning River has become broader and more tranquil. Also, there are now riverside resorts available for visitors to enjoy. Passing along the Longmen Gorge, you can spot the site of the Ancient Plank Road up on the cliffs. There are many imposing peaks resembling various interesting forms along the way. In the Bawu and Dicui Gorges, you can see stalactite formations and similar odd landscapes everywhere. Drifting along this serene vista accompanied by these vivid formations will surely refresh the weariest of travelers.

The Three Little Gorges stand out for their elegance and tranquility. For modern people struggling in the hustle and bustle of life, the natural beauty of these gorges will surely give you a feeling of being out of this world.

The Three Little Gorges along the Daning River is famed for its green scenery and the secluded gorges. However visitors find not only these when cruising along. There are many other exciting things for exploration.

Boat Coffin
Boat coffin, which can be found in both Dicui and Bawu Gorges, is a funeral custom of the ancient Ba people and it is also a form of the Hanging Coffin. Passengers taking a boat can view the boat coffin in the west bank of the Dicui Gorge. It was a black placed on a jut of the cliff 200 meters high (656 feet). The boats and its surrounding scenes are combining to form a vision: a fisherman wearing a large hat is fishing.

Three Little Gorges on Madu River
There exists another ‘Three Gorges’ besides the Three Gorges along the Yangtze River and the one along the Daning River. That is the one distributed along the Madu River, a tributary of the Daning River, consisting of, namely, the Sancheng Gorge, Qinwang Gorge, and Changtan Gorge, with a total length of about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles). Green water and mountain mingle together to form a great natural picture. Rafting down the torrential river confined narrowly by the cliffs is really exhilarating!

Longgupo Site
Fossils of pithecanthrope were found in Longgupo in 1986. The site is located at Longping Village of Wushan County in Chongqing. Fore-tooth and jaws with canine fossils of ancient ape-men were discovered, together with dozens of other fossils of gigantic monkeys, xiphodon tigers and biangular rhinos of the same period. They were proved to be living 2.04 million years ago. The discovery provides valuable resources for the research into the origin of human beings.

Luyou Cavern
Located at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Daning River, Luyou Cavern is made up of three caves, namely Qingshui, Jinzhu and Yulin. Visitors enter the caves on rafts with a skillful boatman steering the way ahead. The stalactites in the caves resemble various shapes; some forming vivid scenes from famous historical stories, some even resemble animals!

According to historical records, Lu You, a renowned poet of the South Song Dynasty (1127-1279), was once berthed in the cave on his way to Sichuan, thus the cave was named.

Dachang Ancient Village
Dachang Ancient Village has the biggest collection of architectural heritage preserved from the Ming and the Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) in the Three Gorges area. The village was constructed in the Jin Dynasty and has a recorded history of 1,700 years. Originally, the village was sited about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) north of the Dicui Gorges along Daning River. However, in 2002, as the Three Gorges Reservoir extended causing the Daning River water levels to rise, the village had to be re-sited. Thus the project of remove the precious heritage to a higher location 8 kilometers (5 miles) away was carried out. Following the original layout using the original building materials, the relocated site of the Dachang Village was completed in the middle of 2007 and visitors may go there to get a good appreciation of an ancient village.

Covering an area of about 10 hectares (24.7 acres) and divided by two main streets, the village is rather small, thus gaining the name ‘pocket village’. Most of the buildings in the village bear the same characters, that is, following the courtyard layout, equipped double eaves and fire-blocking walls. These houses together with three-city gate and the flagging road have been relocated as they were originally.