The Three Gorges Tribe Scenic Area is located in Shipai Village, Yiling District, Yichang City, Hubei Province. Lying by the the Yangtze River and at the foot of mountains, the area used to be a wilder place with earthen shelters and mud roads, where it was very difficult to move around. To address the situation, the Scenic Area, holding on to the principle of protection as priority, reasonable development, sustained utilization and common growth”, worked first to improve transportation and built six standard tourist ferries, and the Shipai and Sandouping wharves, which completely changed the way the villagers go out. In addition, the authorities provided guidance for the villagers to shake off poverty by working in the tourism industry. Currently, more than 60% of the villagers around the scenic area are engaged in tourism-related businesses. The local villager-run hostels have more than 1,500 beds and about 10,000 seats in the hostels’ dining rooms. Meanwhile, for targeted poverty relief, the Scenic Area provided funds to support students from poor families going to school, and employed local villagers in the companies, so as to raise the education level of the villagers as well as increase villagers’ income. Through development over the past 23 years, the Three Gorges Tribe area has become a national 5A tourist zone. The villagers’ habits and lifestyle has undergone a sea change. Shipai Village and Wangjiaping Village have prospered through tourism.
Yantou stream in Dengjiabang Village before and after development
Wedding of the youngest sister
Bawang Village
Pottery making
Dengying Rock Photo by Wang Weidong
Jubilant villagers Photo by Ji Kun
Hubei Province 1.Shennongjia Forestry Distric 2.Yellow Crane Tower 3.East Lake
Shennongjia Forestry District, located in northwestern Hubei Province, is named after the legendary Chinese ancestral figure Shennong who is known to have personally tasted hundreds of herbs to save people’s lives. It is the first site in China that has been placed under protection by three major global institutions -- UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program, the Global Geopark Network and UNESCO World Heritage Center.
Yellow Crane Tower, located in Wuchang by the Yangtze River and adjacent to the Yangtze River Bridge. Hailed as “the number one tower under heaven”, it is one of the “three famous towers south of the Yangtze River” and a symbol of Wuhan City. It is also one of the “three famous scenic spots in Wuhan” alongside Qingchuan Pavilion and Guqin (ancient zither-like instrument) Terrace.
East Lake, located in eastern Wuchang, Wuhan, is the second largest urban lake in China. It features four scenic spots, i.e., the Tingtao (Wave listening), Moshan, Luo Yan (goose falling) and Chuidi (flute-blowing) scenic spots. In 2016, East Lake Greenway, a world-class green way, was opened to public with a total length of 101.98 kilometers, the longest green way encircling a lake in China, which goes through the 5A scenic areas in the city center.
