Changyang Qingjiang River Gallery

Changyang Qingjiang River Gallery

Changyang Qingjiang River Gallery is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

Hubei Qingjiang River Gallery Tourist Resort was established in 2006. Located at the Geheryan Tourist Wharf in Changyang Tujia Autonomous County, Yichang City, it is 10 kilometers from the county town. It is the largest national 5A-level scenic area in the Three Gorges region, a national forest park, and is listed as one of Hubei’s four top-tier tourism resource areas along with Shennongjia, Wudang Mountain, and the Yangtze River Three Gorges. It is also among the top ten core tourist attractions in the Western Hubei Circle, with an annual reception capacity of over one million visitors, and is a Hubei provincial model site for standardized tourism services.

The main section of Qingjiang River Gallery stretches from the Reflection Gorge at the Geheryan Dam in the east to the Salt Spring at the Yanche Dam in the west, encompassing all tourism resources along the route. The high gorges and flat lakes extend one hundred kilometers from east to west. The scenic area boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, with verdant peaks like silk ribbons and river water as blue as gemstones. In the early morning and evening, mist rises over the river like a fairyland; throughout the seasons, wildflowers dot the landscape like the embroidered skirt of a heavenly maiden. Known as the “Danube of the East” and the “Hometown of Lanterns and Oars,” the area currently features attractions such as the birthplace of the Ba people—Wuluo Zhongli Mountain, Immortal Village, and Reflection Gorge, as well as the newly developed “Konjac Health and Wellness Tour” green premium route. Additional sites such as Machi Ancient Village and Salt Spring are under development.

The scenic area has a visitor center built to national 5A-level standards, including a geological museum, shopping center, ticket office, ecological parking lot, and other auxiliary facilities, forming three main functional areas: ticketing, dam viewing, and parking.

The scenic area offers both star-rated hotels and rural guesthouses for accommodation. Dining options range from wild mountain delicacies to spicy seafood, while lodging varies from luxury suites costing several thousand yuan to budget-friendly farmhouse doubles for just tens of yuan. There are also a variety of unique local souvenirs such as Changyang green tea, exotic stones, Qingjiang fish, konjac dietary fiber, and Tujia cured meat—all attractively packaged and easy to carry.

The mystical Qingjiang River has a long and storied history. As the second-largest tributary of the Yangtze River in Hubei, it is the birthplace of the Ba people and the mother river of the Tujia ethnic group. Nineteen thousand years ago, the ancient “Changyang Man” initiated China’s ancient civilization along the Yangtze here; five thousand years ago, the ancient Ba people expanded their territory from this region to establish the ancient Ba Kingdom; and two thousand years ago, the Tujia ethnic group was born here.

The dreamlike Tujia land—a paradise of Ba-Tujia culture. Changyang Tujia Autonomous County, where the scenic area is located, has a long history and splendid culture, and is honored as the “Hometown of Chinese Folk Art.” Mountain songs, Nanqu music, and Bashan dance are the “three treasures of Changyang culture,” while unique customs such as the traditional crying marriage ritual serve as living fossils of the ancient Ba people preserved in Qingjiang River Gallery.

Qingjiang River Gallery offers breathtaking scenery at every step and a painting at every mile. The “Ironman” of China who successfully swam across the English Channel—the world’s swimming king—led a team to cruise through Qingjiang River Gallery here. Over twenty Chinese and international singers, including Li Guyi, Li Shuangjiang, Tan Jing, Ayuduo, Mao Ning, Phoenix Legend, and A Bao, have sung “Mountain Songs Are Like Qingjiang River” here. The world-renowned pianist and virtuoso Maxim Mrvica performed the classic “Poseidon” here with passion. The Changyang farmer brothers Wang Aimin and Wang Aihua conquered national audiences with the Qingjiang folk song “Huadongdong de Jie,” winning the gold medal in the original ecology category of the CCTV Young Singers Grand Prix. Twenty-three academicians and experts, including Academician Sang Guowei of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, have visited Qingjiang River Gallery. CCTV International broadcast a special program on Changyang titled “Chinese Sentiment – Ballad of Ba-Tujia Land,” praising Qingjiang as one of China’s best-preserved rivers and stating that “Qingjiang River Gallery is comparable to the landscapes of Guilin.”

Source: Changyang Government Website

Address: Shaguping Village, Changyang County, Yichang City

Type: Geological, Landscape, Mountain, River, Cruise Tour

Rating: AAAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–5 hours

Phone: 0717-5319721

Official Website: http://www.qjhlw.com/

Opening Hours:

8:00–17:30 (Scenic area opening hours; peak season: March–October, off-season: November–February of the following year); 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 13:30 (Departure times for Qingjiang River Gallery Line A during peak season), 10:00, 11:00, 13:00 (Departure times for Qingjiang River Gallery Line A during off-season). Line A tour duration is approximately 5 hours. 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 (Departure times for Qingjiang River Gallery Line B during peak season), 9:30, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30 (Departure times for Qingjiang River Gallery Line B during off-season). Line B tour duration is approximately 1.5–2 hours. Actual departure times are subject to daily announcements at the scenic area. Please arrive early.

Ticket Information:

Line A: Full price 158 RMB (includes boat ticket); Line B: Full price 100 RMB (includes boat ticket)

Machi Ancient Village

Qingjiang Ancient City

Ancient Capital of the Ba Kingdom

30th Parallel North Island

Immortal Village

Reflection Gorge

Wuluo Zhongli Mountain