Xiling Gorge (Xiling Xia) is renowned for being extremely perilous, as the water is full of turbulent currents, whirlpools, and dangerous shoals. The gorge, 80 km long, is the longest of the Yangtze's Three Gorges, stretching from Xiangxikuo in the east to Nanjingguan in the west, covering two prefectures in Hubei province.
At the northe exit of Xiling Gorge and 10 kilometres from Yichang lies Sanyou, which literally means Three Travelers Cave. This cave offers possibly the best cave scenery in the Three Gorges region. There are two stories related to the origin of the cave's name. The first is that the travelers were three of the Tang Dynasty's most famous literati: Baijuyi, his brother Baixingjian, and Yuanzhen. Impressed by the cave's eerie scenery, Baijuyi wrote an article entitled "Three Travelers Visit the Cave. The second story of the three travelers is about Su Xun and his sons, Su Shi and Su Zhe of the Song Dynasty, each of whom inscribed a poem on the wall. Today visitors can find many carvings on the cave's walls.
Cool in summer and warm in winter, the cave is referred to as an underground paradise by local guides. Inside, the stalactite rocks and natural pillars are said to resemble running animals, dancing snakes, crashing waves, and drifting clouds.
