Yichang, China: Travel Guide

Legs folded in a near squat, crouching over miniature tables, we slurped our red oil noodles called hua mien, fragrant and flavorful. Aiming to start our day the traditional way, breakfast at a noodle house was a must before touring Yichang, a city in Hubei Province nestled on the banks of the Yangtze River, powered and fed by its abundant waters.

While mien famously translates to noodles, hua is a popular figure of speech that means rich and abundant in the Yichang dialect. With countless scenic parks, cultural heritage villages, and the biggest dam in the world, we’d say Yichang is pretty ‘hua’.

Despite being home to several unusual attractions in China, Yichang is often excluded from the typical China itinerary. Read on to find out why we think Yichang is one of the best cities to visit in China and going off the beaten path is worth your time.

Things to Know About Yichang

We discovered that Hubei Province is covered with national parks, stretching in all directions as far as Zhangjiajie National Park from where we had arrived and Xi'An - where we were headed. You would think we're jaded, especially after seeing the Avatar Mountains. But they one-up each other with cultural or adrenaline-filled activities, so it never gets old.

Every China travel guide will tell you that lesser-known destinations are harder to navigate due to a lack of information online and a language barrier, which was the case with Yichang. Its hidden gems are tough to find on Google Maps, but Chinese Baidu Maps proved useful.

What Makes Yichang Special

Three Gorges Dam

Yichang’s main attraction is the Three Gorges Dam – the world’s biggest dam that pronounces Yichang China’s capital of clean energy. Although the dam is actually located an hour upstream in Zigui County.

China’s engineers were sent to the US to study the Panama Canal, prepare for handling large volumes of water, and plan relocation of communities living along the banks of the Yangtze River. As a result, the project has allowed the navigation of oceangoing freighters, the generation of hydroelectric power, and protection from floods. And, fun fact, the colossal 42 billion tons of water held by the dam slowed the Earth's rotation, giving us an extra 0.06 microseconds in a day. Though the dam has caused some controversy, the impacts are remarkable too, making it one of the most impressive places to see in China.

The name of the dam refers to three gorges the river flows through: Qutang, Wu, and Xiling. Due to the long distances between them, they are best visited on a multi-day cruise along the Yangtze River. The cruise also passes through the locks and lets you experience the lowering and rising of water levels. But by taking the cruise, you miss out on all the other amazing places to see in Yichang, so we chose to stay put in the city.

To take in the sheer magnitude of the dam, head to the designated viewpoints called Tan Zi Ling, Platform 185, and Closure Memorial Park on the other bank. Visit Three Gorges Dam, learn about its construction, view the gigantic machinery involved in its creation, and then discover the natural beauty of the gorge, scenic spots, and its inhabitants.

Zigui County

While you are in Zigui, stop by Qu Yuan Hometown Cultural Scenic Park. Situated only a kilometer away from the dam, this cultural village is a replica of one submerged underwater due to the dam project. Qu Yuan is dedicated to Zigui’s eponymous poet and national hero, who helped shape Chinese poetry and in whose honor the Dragon Boat Festival exists. Zigui's Huangling Temple, on the other hand, is the oldest ancient building in the region, still standing in its original form.

Xiling Gorge

Unless you are taking a Yangtze cruise, venturing out to Qutang and Wu Gorges will take too long for a day trip (a 4-hour drive one way). Xiling Gorge on the other hand is the largest and the most accessible, with a whole array of tourist parks and activities on offer. You can hop from one scenic spot to another by car or bus but we recommend boarding a boat tour at least once to see the gorge in all its glory and take in the pagoda-covered slopes.

Your first point of interest is the Yichang Gorge Mouth Scenic Spot. A beautiful park on a mountain offering stunning views and thrilling activities like bungee jumping. It’s also home to the Three Travelers Cave named after three poets who were so moved by the views they inscribed poems on the walls. That started a chain reaction and today visitors come to read the writings and admire the calligraphy.

These cliffs are home to another Yichang popular tourist attraction – Fangweng Restaurant - a cave restaurant with a cliffside hanging extension. It reminded us of our cave dining experience in Teotihuacan, Mexico, except injected with more adrenaline for the unique location and bungee jumping nearby.

Three Gorges Tribe Village

Further upstream is another interesting place to visit called Three-Gorges Tribe Scenic Spot. To make up for flooding authentic villages and relocating its inhabitants inland, the government created replicas that showcase to visitors what life had looked like for the tribes. The Tribe Scenic Spot portrays the traditions of the Tujia minority that not only serves as a tourist attraction but also creates jobs. Here, you can learn about the intangible cultural heritage of one of China’s biggest ethnic groups through performances and costumes, albeit staged.

Three Gorges Waterfalls

For unique vistas, travel an hour into the Yiling District to the Three Gorges WaterfallsScenic Spot. This natural park is a maze of cliffside hanging trails, giant waterfalls, dense forests, and geological fossils. With over 30 waterfalls, the highest of which is 334 feet, it’s a welcome break from busy tourist spots on your China itinerary.

Chexi Folk Customs Village

On China’s five-tier tourist attractions rating system, 5A being Zhangjiajie National Park, Chexi Folk Custom Park is a solid 4A and it's located less than an hour away from Yichang. The site, which is part of Shuangfeng Mountain Park is not only picturesque but is a full-scale cultural village that specializes in preserving activities like crop farming and customs like farming songs, dances, and bonfire ceremonies. Visiting here truly feels like stepping back in time.

Qingjiang Fangshan Park

Known as “Zhangjiajie of Hubei”, this scenic park located almost two hours from Yichang is breathtaking and we can see the resemblance. It features quartz sandstone pillars, waterfalls, and caves, and the star of the show is one of the world’s longest glass walkways. With ancient temples of the Ming and Qing dynasties in shrouds of fog, stone carvings, and caves illuminated in atmospheric lighting, the air is charged with the mystery of a bygone era.

What to Eat in Yichang

Yichang cuisine has a similar flavor profile to Sichuan in that the food is salty, fresh and spicy. Very spicy. For breakfast, head to Fusiu Road, known as the breakfast street lined with steamed bun shops. Hu Ji Bun shop is clearly the favorite because the buns get sold out in minutes fresh off the steamer. Arrive early, join the queue, and wait for the next batch. The dough of these buns is thinner than Cantonese ones and interestingly, they get steamed on top of pine needles. The recommended flavors are beef and radish both of which are spicy indicated by seeping oil that stains the white buns orange. A warning sign or seduction act – depends on who you ask.

Next on the menu are red oil noodles traditionally eaten for breakfast but can be found at all times of the day. The best place to try them is at the longstanding Fang Ma Noodle House, serving up loaded bowls of hua mien (花面), for nearly half a century. Grab yourself a bowl, top it up with condiments from the communal table offering pickled radish, coriander, garlic, and sauerkraut, and grab a squat table on the street, taking in the fragrant steam and morning rush.

For dinner, join the crowds in Yichang’s most popular evening activity – eating at night markets. Walk along the river bank on Yanjiang Boulevard, admiring the lights, and proceed down Xueyuan Street and Xilingyi Road in search of fluorescent-lit street food. Let your nose and eyes lead as you peruse stall after stall of neatly organized ingredients, dry ice-fuming fruit platters, steaming cauldrons, and flaming woks – our favorite type of performance. Pretty 'hua', indeed!