Yangtze River is the longest river in the People's Republic of China, and is one of the longest in the world. The total length of Yangtze River is over 6,300 km. It ranks the third in the world, only shorter than the Nile and Amazon.

Baidicheng (White Emperor City) lies on the north bank of the Yangtze River and to the east of Fengjie County, guarding the entrance to Qutang Gorge. 

Sandwiched between the mountains on the mid part of the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges start in the west of Baidicheng, pass through Fengjie and Wushan Mountain in Sichuan Province and Badong, Zigui, and Yichang in Hubei Province, end at Yichang in Hubei Province. The total length of the gorges extends 193 kilometers, including Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge. Except the Daning River Valley and the Fragrant Stream Valley, the gorges are 93 kilometers long.