Three Travelers' Cave (SANYOU Cave)
Located on a cliff of the northern peak of the Xiling Hill, the Three Travelers' Cave is 10 kilometers northwest of Yichang City, overlooking the magnificent Nanjin Pass - the exit of the great Xiling Gorge, and the Gezhouba Hydro-electric Project.
Yichang has a population of 3.89 million and is inhabited by Tujia (Tujia are an ethnic group numbering about 8 million). Yichang is also a place connecting the cultures of Ba in the west and Chu State in the east.
Three Travelers' Cave has two interconnected entrances, one as wide and tall as a city gate while the other so low that a tourist has to climb through it on all fours. The bigger section measures six meters in height and 20-30 meters both in breadth and depth.
Three stalactites divide it into two chambers, the front one being spacious and bright and the rear one having a ceiling shaped like a hanging bell. The floor of the cave issues the sound of a drum when the tourist stamps his feet on it, and smaller rocks near its walls sound like a chime when struck. These are three wonders of Three Travelers' Cave: Heavenly Bell, Earth Drum, and Side Chime. Cool in summer and warm in winter.
More than forty stone inscriptions both inside and outside the cave are still discernible. Poet and articles might not be that famous to western travelers, but it is truly a great place to sample the greatness of the Three Gorges. When you see people on the ships far away waving to you and yielding, you can stop waving and yielding back from the high cliff.
At the south of the cave, there is a tower peak, on top of which stands a statue of Zhang Fei, a general of Shu in Three Kingdom Period. It was said that he had hit drums to train his troops here. And small platform got its name "Zhang Fei Hitting Drum Platform".
Three Travelers' Cave is a tourist highlight both because of its approximate to Yichang and the spectacular terrain it is on. It is caught between towering peaks and skirted by a clear stream called Xialao Brook. Its top commands a view of Nanjin Pass where the dangerous upper section of the Yangtze River gives way to the middle reaches along which navigation is relatively easy.
