Leaving the Three Gorges by boat at dawn — you really feel 'leaving Baidi at sunrise among colored clouds.'
Tips
history
Opening line of 李白《早发白帝城》(Li Bai, Tang, 759 CE): 朝辞白帝彩云间，千里江陵一日还。两岸猿声啼不住，轻舟已过万重山 (At dawn I left Baidi amid the colored clouds; a thousand li to Jiangling in a single day. Monkeys on both banks cried without ceasing as the light boat had already passed ten thousand hills). Written after Li Bai was pardoned from exile at Yelang — the joy is palpable in the speed.
usage
白帝城 (Baidi City) stands above the Qutang Gorge entrance (modern Fengjie, Chongqing), famous from Three Kingdoms lore as where Liu Bei died. Often quoted with the whole first couplet to evoke swift, exhilarated travel.
