Qing River 清江画廊

About Qing River

Reflections in Daoying Gorge and the island-like rise of Wuluo Zhongli Mountain give the waterway its distinctive visual rhythm. The mountain is also presented through the traditions of the ancient Ba people. Different operator routes include different combinations of boat viewing, gorge walking and landing on the mountain, so choose the actual product rather than assuming one ticket covers the whole river.

The Qing River (清江) is a right-bank tributary of the Yangtze River in Hubei province, in south-central China. It rises at Tenglong Cave near Lichuan City in the province's southwest corner and runs 423 kilometers, draining 17,000 square kilometers across the Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and the Yichang prefecture-level city before joining the Yangtze at the old town of Yidu, in Yichang.

The Geheyan Dam on the river includes a ship lift able to raise vessels of up to 300 tons, allowing water transport upstream of the dam, and the dam held back the Qing River's flow during the 1998 Yangtze River floods. 'Qing River Gallery' (清江画廊) is a Hubei Provincial Scenic Area covering a series of scenic sites along the river upstream from the dam as far as the Shuibuya Salt Springs.

What to look for

• The reflective water-and-cliff landscape of Daoying Gorge.
• Wuluo Zhongli Mountain and its association with Ba cultural traditions.

The surrounding area

A base for the Three Gorges landscape and Three-Gorges Tribe; confirm the actual boat boarding point and transfer.

Location & getting there

Getting to Qing River

Use the Qingjiang Gallery visitor entrance and tourism pier in Changyang. Check whether the chosen route lands at Wuluo Zhongli Mountain or follows the Daoying Gorge walking-and-boat circuit; both the boarding point and the return arrangements matter.