The Lesser Three Gorges are the three separate valleys of the Daning River: Dragon Gate Gorge, Misty Gorge and Emerald Gorge. These lie on the lower reaches of the Daning, which flows into the Yangtze. The gorges are truly spectacular. Sheer cliffs soar up towards the sky from the brown-green water. Mountain tops hover above the ribbon of mist, disconnected from their roots. Its "subtle mountains, clear waters, pretty rocks, dangerous rapids, sharp turns, fantastic caves, and stalactites in various shapes" create the timeless beauty that you see in Chinese landscape paintings. Monkeys, mandarin ducks and other water birds can be seen loitering on big boulders in this area. In addition to the wonderful natural scenery there are a number of historical places of interest along the way, such as a suspended coffin, boat coffin, and remains of ancient plank walkway.
