(National 4A-class)

This tour site, once called the “Jiulongwan tour site”, is a national 4A class one brought by the new Three Gorges, and is the best place to view the entire Three Gorges Dam. It is located in the Jiulongwan Mountain, 4 km downstream away from the Dam, where average elevation is 690 m. Besides the Dam viewing, you can also enjoy ding “Touch Three Gorges” and group bells show, and beautiful night scene of the Dam.

The Huangniu Cliff (the Bull Cliff)

The Bull Cliff is called the first cliff of Three Gorges. The elevation is about 1047 m, the top peak in the Dam area. The name is from a folk legend. It’s said that, a magic bull helped Dayu complete the water control project here. Also, the gorge here is called the Bull Gorge (the Huangniu Gorge). This highly standing cliff can be observed from far way. “Morning setting off in Huangniu, night anchoring in Huangniu, 3 days and nights are not enough to pass through Huangniu”, this ancient ballad is the best description of the situation. And our tour site is under the Bull Cliff. Here is called “Jiulong Wan” (nine dragons bay) for its landscape. There are nine mountain ridges are waving from the half cliff to the river, looking like 9 green dragons. In Chinese culture, the dragon represents happiness and luck. And this tour site is just on the back of these green dragons.

The Yuwang Pavilion (the Dayu Pavillion)

This 20.8 m pavilion is a 3 floor building with cross gable and hip roof, showing the characteristics of the Chu civilization. It’s a memorial for great dedication of Dayu, who was famous for flood control in Chinese legend.

In the pavilion, these are Three Gorges Dam model and coin-operated telescope. Using these telescopes, you can enjoy the entire great Dam and nature three gorges in a broad viewing angle. Standing here, surround by cloudy mountains and broad river, you can overlook the entire Dam, the Gorge mountains, and the reservoir lake etc. Especially when the evening lights are lit, the neon light shined dam will look like a great ice sculpture on the water. What an amazing place!

The Huangniu Bell (the Bull Bell)

Down from the Yuwang Pavilion, we will pass a corridor, which leads us to a great bell, the Huangniu Bell. It’s about 2.6m in height, with weight of 3 ton and max diameter of 1.6 m, and was built to pray for the Three Gorges. Every day, at the open and close of the tour site, this bell will be rung 108 times for each. Why 108 times? I will explain to you in details, it’s the sum of the number 12 months, 24 solar terms, and 72 phenology periods (5 days for each), and means an entire cycle of one year. It stands the prosperous state and peaceful people will carry on as long as the world last. Standing in such circumstance, everyone will overlook the Three Gorge Project in high emotion. Therefore, here is called “Touch Three Gorges”. And now, you can ring this bell, for 3 , 6 or 9 times, by free groups of 1 people, 2 people or 3 people. Please ring it at the proper marked position.

The Tingtao Xuan (windowed veranda for listening the soughing of the wind in the pines)

Here we will enjoy the soughing of the wind in the pines and the group bells show. This veranda was built in 2 floors. The 1st floor is Video hall, playing the documentary film “Behind the Three Gorges Project”. This film tells us millions touching stories happened during the construction of the great project. The 2nd floor is for group bells show. The group bells, also called song bells, were important percussion instruments in ancient China. The bell, casted by bronze, sounds silvery and melodious with strong penetrability. The group style and quantity differed in past dynasties. And these bells were special for palace court show, especially when going on an expedition, enjoying banquet or holding sacrificial ceremony.