Three Gorges Bamboo Sea 三峡竹海

About Three Gorges Bamboo Sea

The area takes its name from four streams, Daxi among them, that cut through it; a core zone of 9 square kilometres sits inside a 20 square kilometre controlled area. Bamboo is the defining cover, with more than 10,000 mu of groves and over 300 varieties recorded, including Qiong bamboo, mottled bamboo, solid-stemmed bamboo and the yellow-and-green 'gold-inlaid-jade' bamboo. The nationally protected Paliurus, known locally as the 'money tree', also grows here, and the city profile notes dozens of wild animal species, macaques and wild goats among them.

Water and karst give the valley its other features. Nearly ten caves have formed in the limestone, including Longwang, Baiyan and Yuquan caves, and the Sandiaoshui waterfall drops 389 metres in three stages, one of the higher falls in the region. The sights the city government listed as developed for visitors were Longwang Cave, a bamboo-sea bathing area, the Famous Bamboo Garden, the Sandiaoshui waterfall and an endangered-plant garden.

What to look for

• The Sandiaoshui waterfall, a three-tiered fall with a total drop of 389 metres.
• Longwang Cave, the principal developed cave among nearly ten karst caves in the area.
• The Famous Bamboo Garden, which brings together specimens from the more than 300 bamboo varieties recorded here.
• The endangered-plant garden and the nationally protected Paliurus 'money tree' growing in the valley.

Location & getting there

Getting to Three Gorges Bamboo Sea

Confirm the visitor entrance and which boat or walking routes operate on your date. Rainfall, water levels and weather can change access.

• Search for 三峡竹海 with 宜昌市 and 秭归县.