The Three Gorges extend from Baidicheng in Fengjie under the Chongqing municipality in the west to Nanjinguan in Yichang of Hubei Province in the east, over a length of 193 kilometers.

Qutang Gorge, also known as Kuixia, eight kilometers long from Baidicheng in Fengjie to Daxi Town, is the shortest but the grandest of the three. Sheer precipices of limestone of the Qiyue Mountains on either side are less than a hundred meters apart and form a colossal, nearly perfect gate over the river, the Kui Gate, which is acclaimed as the "greatest gate under heaven."

The 45-kilometer-long Wuxia Gorge is the longest and most straight of the three gorges and also called the Grand Gorge. Mountain peaks along the banks here are tranquil and graceful, especially the Twelve Peaks of Wushan. Goddess Peak, one of the twelve, is related to a beautiful fairy tale.

Xiling Gorge has many shoals and swift water. The most dangerous used to be the Xintan and Kongling shoals. In the old days the shoals with swirling waters upturned numerous boats and killed many people. After 1949 the course was dredged and navigation has become much safer.

In recent years some new tourist routes have been opened, including the Daning and Shennongxi rivers. The Three Gorges saw great battles during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). Many famous men of letters of the Tang and Song dynasties (from 618 to 1279), including Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Liu Yuxi, Su Shi and Lu You, wrote about the Three Gorges. Qu Yuan, a great patriotic poet (c. 340-278 B. C.) and Zhao Jun, an extraordinary woman, were born in the Three Gorges.

A giant dam of the Three Gorges Water Project is being built at Sandouping. After this cross-century project is completed the water level of the Three Gorges will rise to 175 meters and the reservoir behind the dam will reach to 650 kilometers upstream. Someday tourist attractions will be submerged but some new ones will be developed.

In 1892 the Three Gorges were put on the list of national historic and scenic areas by the State Council.

At present most tourists take boat ride through the Three Gorges from Chongqing, Yichang or Wuhan. So the album also includes tourist attractions in Chongqing and Wuhan.