National 5A Scenic Area
Hubei
Three Gorges Dam
The largest power station in the world by installed capacity, on the Yangtze at Sandouping — paired in one 5A area with the birthplace of the poet Qu Yuan.
Location profile
At a glance
- Province or region
- Hubei
- National rating
- 5A Scenic Area
- Coordinates
- 30.828331, 111.009719
Where the dam actually is
The Three Gorges Dam spans the Yangtze at Sandouping, in the Yiling District of Yichang, Hubei Province, at roughly 30.823°N, 111.004°E. It is about 40 kilometers upstream of central Yichang and well downstream of the gorges themselves — a common point of confusion, because the reservoir the dam created stretches some 600 kilometers upstream, past all three gorges, to Chongqing.
On a map of China the dam sits almost exactly in the middle: central Hubei, at the point where the Yangtze leaves the mountains of the upper river and enters the flat, densely farmed plain of the middle reaches. That transition is the reason the site was chosen.
What the 5A area covers
The national 5A designation covers two components that are visited together but are not adjacent: the dam viewing area at Sandouping, and Qu Yuan’s Hometown (Quyuan Guli) at Zigui, upstream on the reservoir shore. Qu Yuan was a statesman and poet of the state of Chu who is traditionally dated to roughly 340–278 BCE, and whose death is the story behind the Dragon Boat Festival; the Zigui site was rebuilt above the new waterline when the reservoir filled.
At the dam itself, the main vantage points are the Tanziling overlook, which gives the wide view down the dam axis, the 185 Platform at the crest elevation, and the Closure Memorial Park on the riverbank below. The five-stage double-line ship locks handle cargo convoys, and a separate ship lift, in service since 2016, raises smaller vessels in a single water-filled chamber.
Practical notes
Access is normally from Yichang, which is on the high-speed rail network; visitors transfer to the scenic area and move between viewpoints on shuttle buses rather than private cars. Because this is an operating power and navigation facility, entry involves a security check and identity documents are required — foreign visitors should carry the passport itself, not a copy.
Haze along the river is common and can flatten the view from Tanziling, particularly in summer. Water levels change by design between the flood season and the winter storage season, so the exposed height of the dam face and the look of the reservoir differ substantially depending on when you come.
What the 5A rating tells you
China's national scenic area system uses 5A as its highest quality tier. The assessment considers the attraction itself together with visitor services, accessibility, safety, cleanliness and site management. It is a quality classification, not a live status feed: opening hours, ticket rules and entry procedures can still change.
Planning your visit
Use the coordinates above to identify the correct entrance area, especially when English map labels vary. Before setting out, confirm current opening dates, reservation requirements, passport rules, transport access and weather conditions through the attraction or local tourism authority.
Save the English name and coordinates on your phone before setting out. They help you distinguish the correct entrance when map labels or ticket listings use several different romanizations.