Well, who doesn’t like travelling? Isn’t it amazing to explore the globe? Especially when you live in a massive country like China, there are tremendous travelling opportunities. In fact, after I moved to China in November-2017, I’ve been trying my best to explore the mainland as much as possible. In January-2019, I visited Hubei province of China and explored three interesting cities- Wuhan, Jingzhou and Yichang. As such Yichang, the city famous for the Three Gorges Dam, was my 29th Chinese city.
So, in this post, let’s discover Yichang city (宜昌). Initially, I’d share some general travel related facts about the city and then tell you more about the top things to do in Yichang. I’m also adding travel photos that I clicked over here, hope you’ll appreciate.
Yichang city brief
Well, after Wuhan, Yichang is the second largest city in Hubei province. In ancient time the city was known as Yiling. The present Yiling square in the downtown derives its name from the same fact. The city is also famous for the Battle of Yiling (222 AD) and Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang (1940).
As of now, Yichang is a prefecture level city.
The term “Three Gorges” is based on the fact that there are three adjacent gorges along the Yangtze River. These three gorges are named as: Qutang Gorge (瞿塘峽, Qútáng xiá), Wu Gorge (巫峡, Wū xiá), and Xiling Gorge (西陵峡, Xīlíng xiá). No wonder, the Georges are collectively referred as the Three Gorges (三峡, Sān xiá). I hope now you’ll better understand the rationale behind the name Three Gorges Dam. Also, I wish to emphasize that the term three gorges was very popular much before the dam was constructed
In fact, the word “three” is very important in Yichang and so many entities are named with a three (or san) tag, such as Three Georges Dam, Three Visitors Cave and Park, San Xia University, etc.
Yichang east railway station
I came to Yichang from Jingzhou (I took a train to Yichang). The train stopped at the Yichang East Railway Station (宜昌东站). The station has two floors and the ground floor looked under construction. While getting down from the train, I heard the announcements regarding the tourism in Yichang, including that for the Three Georges Dam.
Yichang east railway station to city center
There are direct buses from the railway station to the downtown. If you are coming towards the CBD area, you can take either bus b1k 路 or b1 路 (b1k Lu and b1 Lu).
Yichang transportation
Well, although there is no operating subway system in Yichang (January, 2019), the city has a very comprehensive bus system. There are at least four types of buses in Yichang-
- BRT special buses- They operate from Yichang East Railway Station to the CBD. The BRT bus stations usually look different from the ordinary bus stations.
- B line- They do have transfer to some of the BRT lane buses.
- K line- Normal city buses with no interchange with BRT line and minibuses. Sometimes the letter K may not be explicitly mentioned.
- Minibuses.
The city bus fares are generally fixed to RMB 1-2/person, irrespective of how far you go within the city. Some of the long distance buses would charge you RMB 10-15. Don’t forget to use the Baidu Map, that’s the best and convenient way to find the right bus in any Chinese city.
Yichang accommodation
I was staying with one of the branches of the Home Inn chain of hotels and it was a pleasant experience. In fact, when I arrived at the Hotel’s reception from the railway station, I learnt that it was not the correct Hotel because the actual branch of the hotel that I had booked was actually different. However, the receptionist still allowed me to stay (by transferring the booking or something), at a bit cheaper tariff rate.
In fact, if you don’t know much about the hotels in China, I’d recommend staying with the Home Inn (如家) or Hanting express (汉庭), so far I didn’t have any bad experience with them. Moreover, their prices are reasonable and you can conveniently confirm a booking online (such as using the Booking.com).
Yichang weather
The weather in Yichang was quite cold because of the peak winter season. As such, if you are travelling to Yichang in the winters, don’t forget to bring enough winter clothes.
Air pollution in Yichang
Yichang did have a relatively higher air pollution level than what I’d usually feel in the city like Suzhou. Also, the pollution levels were more or less consistent through the province.
Yichang Food
Well, I loved eating local Chinese food in Yichang, especially the noodles that are not just delicious, but also very much affordable from any international standards. I tried both dry and soup noodles. RMB 4-5/bowl. Check out the following posts-
Top things to do in Yichang city, Hubei
Now let’s learn about some of the top things to do in Yichang city.
Three Gorges Dam
I believe that the most iconic landmark in the city is the Three Gorges Dam (三峡大坝). The entry is provided only for RMB 35/person, including the bus transfers. The dam is located quite far from the city center (Yiling Square). I have written a detailed post; please check out that one too-
Three Visitors Cave and Park
You could go for a half day long trip to the Yichang’s famous cave park (三游洞风景区). The park contains numerous ancient poems engraved on the stones. RMB 40. The cave’s location is far from the city center and you’ll need to use the long distance bus B10 (RMB 15).
The Sinoceras Park shows fossils from old times.
Do take photos of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) and Cable Bridge (索桥). It’s allowed to walk on the Cable Bridge.
There is a wax museum located in the park where you can buy some refreshments as well.
Fangweng restaurant
The famous Fangweng restaurant (放翁酒家) is located near the Three Visitors Cave and Park village. The restaurant is quite old one and you shouldn’t miss a meal here. Slightly expensive. However, you’ll get very nice views of the Cable Bridge and Bungie Jump.
Bungie Jump in Yichang
Well, I didn’t go for the famous Bungie Jump in Yichang. However, while having a meal at Fangweng restaurant, I saw the Bungie Jump near the Cable Bridge (索桥). It was quite nicely organized. Initially they’d just drop you in the river with your feet tied to a long rope. You will swing in the air for a couple of minutes and then you’ll be gradually descending to the Yangtze River where a guy waits for you on a boat. I also saw a couple bound tightly who screamed a lot while swinging in the air.
Yiling Square
This is the city center area (夷陵广场). The square is similar to small grassland. There are many shopping outlets nearby. The famous CBD night market is also located just a few hundred meters away.
Yichang Art gallery and museum
There has been an art gallery just besides the Yiling square. The gallery has many nice paintings on display. You can spend an hour or so here. Free.
Three Gorges Village
You can spend around half a day exploring the Three Gorges Village (三峡村). Make sure to come in the early morning. The theme park style village offers a great view of the river. RMB 120.
Yuquan Temple
The historic Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺) has a long history – some 1700 years long. It’s one of the oldest Buddhist sites in China and definitely one of the top things to do in Yichang. However, the temple is far from the city and there isn’t any direct bus from the Yiling Square. You may have to walk some 5 kilometers even if you use bus transfers. So, it’s better to hire a taxi for the round trip.
ChangBanPo
The Yuquan Temple and Changbanpo (长坂坡) battlefield are located in a close proximity and neither of them seem to have a direct bus connection to Yiling Square. So, you can hire a taxi to visit both of them on the same day.
San xia university
Well, since I like visiting the universities, I stopped in to the San Xia University (三峡大学). The campus is beautiful and worth exploring. You should try to visit the library. There are some cafeterias as well near the library.
Binjiang Park
This is a serene park located at just 10 minutes’ walk from the Yiling Square. The view of the Yangtze River from the park looks very beautiful. I visited the park in the morning time and there weren’t many people over here. Free.
Yichang nightlife & CBD Night market
Well, if you are into Chinese food, you are recommended to stop by the CBD night market. You’ll find all types of Chinese food here. Prices are quite reasonable, for example, for RMB 10 you can get 4 pieces of fish. For RMB 3 you can get a Chinese pancake (like a crispy pizza). I like street food and China definitely has plenty of street food in the offing. In the night time the market looks very charming. Along the CBD, There are some nice bars as well. Overall, I’m of the mind that you’ll love the nightlife revolving around the CBD market.
In summary, Yichang is definitely a city worth visiting. You should spend at least half a day exploring the Three Gorges Dam, and half a day in the cave village. Overall, if you spend 2-3 days in Yichang wandering in a private taxi, you can cover all the Yichang travel attractions.
That’s all in this post about traveling and top thing to do Yichang. If you have any question about traveling, living or working in China, do let me know! Feel free to post in our forum so that others could also contribute and learn. For regular updates like us on Facebook, or follow on Twitter!
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Happy travelling to Yichang city!
Cheers!
Last updated: Monday, March 4, 2019