Stand on the east bank of the Yangtze in the late afternoon and you will see the riverfront park fill up: cyclists on one path, walkers on another, groups dancing and playing sport as the hills across the water switch on their lights. That stretch of riverbank is the simplest way to understand Yichang — a working Yangtze port city where the river is both the view and the evening's entertainment.
Yichang suits travellers who are in western Hubei for the river itself: the dam, the gorges, the cave shrines and the temple towns along the way. It is also a practical base, with an airport in Xiaoting District and a main rail station, Yichang East Railway Station, linking the city east to Wuhan and west toward Enshi, Chongqing and Chengdu.
1. Three Gorges Dam
The largest dam in the world, in Sandouping Town in Yiling District. The dam body was completed in 2006, the power plant was fully operational by 2012, and the ship lift followed in 2015. It is the single sight most visitors come to Yichang for.
Bus 216 leaves roughly every hour from the north of Yichang; use Amap to find the stop. Entry to the dam is free, with a bus fare of ¥75, and the site is open 8AM–5PM. If you are also taking a Yangtze cruise, note that the Three Gorges Dam is a standard shore excursion on the downstream and upstream itineraries.
2. Tribe of the Three Gorges
Also known as Three Gorges Village, this site sits at Shipai Village in Sandouping Town, Yiling District, on the edge of Xiling Gorge about 40 km west of downtown. It has a strong view of the river, ancient relics and a natural karst cave that feels like an underground palace. It is popular with Chinese visitors and little known to Western travellers.
Bus 10-1 takes about an hour and a half to get there. Opening hours are 08:00–17:30 from March to October and 08:30–17:00 from November to February, and the ticket office closes two hours before closing time. General admission is ¥120, with ¥30 each for the elevator and the boat ride. Leave in the morning; a day tour covers the main sites in the area.
3. Three Visitors Cave and Park
A cave on a peninsula outside the city, at 8 Nanjinguan Road in Xiling District, with poetry engraved in stone. The surrounding park looks out over the Yangtze and holds old military defence walls, Sino-Japanese war memorial stones, a river viewing pavilion and ancient city remains.
The walk around the park involves a lot of steps, so allow time and treat it as a relaxed half-day rather than a quick stop. Hours are 08:30–17:00 from November to March and 07:30–18:00 from April to October; admission is ¥78. Bus routes 10-1 and b10 and Sightseeing Bus 2 serve the site. A bungie jump operates beside the cave at Xialaoxi Bridge, though the construction looks old and badly maintained.
4. Riverfront
The east bank of the river is one long park running from the southern new Yangtze bridge up to the smaller dam in the north, with separate zones for walking and cycling. In the late afternoon and evening people come out to work out, dance and play sports, and the hills on the far bank light up after dark.
This is the easiest thing to do in Yichang without planning: come in the late afternoon, walk or cycle a stretch, and stay for the lights on the opposite hills.
5. Yichang Museum
The city museum on Bailin River Road in Wujiagang District, reached by bus routes b313 and b343. It is free, which makes it a sensible stop when the weather turns or when you want context before heading out to the dam and the gorges.
Opening hours are 09:00–16:30 with no entry after 16:00, and it is closed on Mondays. Plan it for a morning or early afternoon rather than late in the day.
6. Yuquan Temple
One of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in China, founded in the late Eastern Han Dynasty about 1,700 years ago, in Yuquan Village, Dangyang, on County Highway 230. Admission is free and it is open 07:00–17:30.
It is about 80 km by road from downtown Yichang and roughly 15 km west of Dangyang. Take a long-distance bus to Dangyang and ask the driver to drop you at the Yuquan Temple Intersection, then take a motorcycle taxi the rest of the way. It pairs naturally with Changbanpo, which is also in Dangyang.
7. Changbanpo
The site of the Battle of Changban, fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Liu Bei in 208 A.D., at 86 Changban Road in Dangyang. It is open 08:00–18:00 and admission is ¥15.
Take a long-distance bus to Dangyang and then walk or take a taxi, or take the train to Dangyang and bus no. 1, getting off near the intersection of Zilong Road and Changban Road. Combine it with Yuquan Temple on the same trip out of the city.
8. Yangtze river cruises
Luxury cruises sail between Yichang and Chongqing, lasting three nights downstream and four nights upstream. The fare usually includes shore excursions and all meals on board except dinner on the check-in day, with excursions typically covering Fengdu, Shennong Stream or the Lesser Three Gorges, and the Three Gorges Dam.
Several operators run this route, including Dragon Cruisers, New Century Cruises, Orient Royal Cruise, President Cruises, Regal China Cruises, Victoria Cruises and Viking River Cruises. Dragon Cruisers sail weekly from each end between mid March and mid November; Orient Royal Cruise lists rates starting at $760 for East King plus $70 for shore excursions, and $1,400 for Yangzi Explorer.
If you only have one day
Morning: Take bus 216 from the north of Yichang to the Three Gorges Dam in Sandouping Town and spend the morning at the dam site, which opens at 8AM. If you would rather stay closer to town, take bus 10-1 to the Tribe of the Three Gorges instead, leaving early enough to arrive after opening and to clear the ticket office well before it closes two hours ahead of the site.
Afternoon: Return to the city and visit the Three Visitors Cave and Park on its peninsula in Xiling District, using bus 10-1, b10 or Sightseeing Bus 2. Take the stepped walk around the park for the river views, the old defence walls and the memorial stones. If time is short or the weather is poor, swap in the Yichang Museum on Bailin River Road, remembering that entry stops at 16:00 and it is closed on Mondays.
Evening: Finish on the riverfront on the east bank, walking or cycling a stretch of the park as people come out to exercise, dance and play sport, and staying until the hills on the far side of the Yangtze light up.
How do I get to the Three Gorges Dam from Yichang?
Bus 216 leaves roughly every hour from the north of Yichang; use Amap to find the exact location. Entry to the dam is free and the bus costs ¥75, and the site is open 8AM–5PM.
Can I see the Three Gorges without booking a cruise?
Yes. The Tribe of the Three Gorges sits on the edge of Xiling Gorge at Shipai Village in Sandouping Town, about 40 km west of downtown, and bus 10-1 takes about an hour and a half. A day tour there covers the main sites in the area.
Which sights are free and which charge admission?
The Three Gorges Dam, Yuquan Temple and the Yichang Museum are free. The Tribe of the Three Gorges charges ¥120 general admission plus ¥30 each for the elevator and boat ride, the Three Visitors Cave and Park charges ¥78, and Changbanpo charges ¥15.
Where can I go outside the city centre?
Yuquan Temple and Changbanpo are both in Dangyang, roughly 80 km by road from downtown, and can be combined in one trip. Take a long-distance bus to Dangyang and ask to be dropped at the Yuquan Temple Intersection, or take the train and bus no. 1 for Changbanpo.
Decide how many nights you want on the river versus in the city, check the bus and cruise departure days, and you have enough to start planning a Yichang trip.