The elegant Xiling Gorge starts from Guandu Kou of the Zigui County in the west, and ends to Nanjin Guan of Yichang in the east. Its total length of 114 km ranks the longest in the three gorges, among which 66 km is for gorges (31 km above dam, 35km below dam). The name “Xiling”, standing for “West Mountains”, came from its specific situation as it’s situated in the west of Yichang, and especially, it’s the west border of the ancient Chu State. These gorges become famous for dangerous and spectacular location. In Xiling Gorge, there are 3 shoals (Xie Shoal, Qing Shoal and Kongling Shoal) and 4 gorges (Dengying Gorge, Huangniu Gorge, Niugan Mafei Gorge, and Bingshu Baojian Gorge). Series of gorges and shoals make the water flow speedy and complex here. Ouyang Xiu of the North Song Dynasty praised “the mountains and water of Xiling are the finest under heaven”. Marshal Chen Yi of P.R.C also praised “Xiling is the finest in the Three Gorges, and everyone will forget to return for thick delight”. From the ancient times, the boat trackers kept their living here for generations, dragging the boats upstream and fighting against the riptide. An ancient idiom saying “Boats hard to sail in Xiling, even ghosts are afraid of reefs” is the vivid description. After the completion of the Gezhouba Hydropower Station, a big reservoir came into being in the upstream, which raised the water line and submerged those dangerous shoals. Additionally, after the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, the government dredged up the river way several times and destroyed many dangerous reefs. Thanks to all these actions, we can enjoy our safe and leisure touring through these beautiful gorges today.