The 'three gorges' are
瞿塘峡 (Qutang),
巫峡 (Wu), and
西陵峡 (Xiling). The region has been a wellspring of classical poetry — Li Bai's 《
早发白帝城》 ('
朝辞白帝彩云间') was written as he sped down the gorges in 759. The modern
三峡大坝 (Three Gorges Dam), completed in 2006, flooded much of the historical landscape and displaced over a million residents.
