First Trip to Wushan: Beyond the Lesser Three Gorges and Museum, Don't Miss the Live Performance 'Wushan Goddess'!

What's your first impression of Wushan? Is it the picturesque scenery of the Lesser Three Gorges, the autumn maples covering the mountains, or the authentic Wushan grilled fish and flavorful smoked pork ribs? Without visiting Wushan, you'll never know how beautiful it truly is! Come to Wushan once to see the mountains, water, and performances, and feel the millennia-old charm of this city on its streets and alleys. Its beauty is understated yet captivating!

This is my first time in Wushan. At the Wushan Museum, listening to the guide introduce the local culture, I realized how profound it is. The depth of Wushan's culture far exceeded my imagination! Wushan, Wushui, and Wu culture are all indispensable parts of a Wushan trip.

**First Stop: Wushan Museum – A Small Window into a Big World**

Wushan Museum is located at No. 369 Pinghu West Road, Wushan County. Opening hours: 09:00-17:00, closed every Monday.

To understand a city, the best place to go is its museum. Wushan Museum highlights regional cultural features such as Longgupo culture, Daxi culture, and Wu culture, reflecting the fruitful achievements of the Three Gorges cultural relic rescue and protection. It is a public cultural and educational institution for collecting, researching, and displaying Wushan's historical and cultural heritage and human environmental evidence, and is also an important cultural landmark of Chongqing's eastern gateway.

Wushan Museum is situated at the confluence of the Wu Gorge of the Yangtze River and the Lesser Three Gorges of the Daning River. From the museum square, you can see the Wushan Bridge opposite. Combined with the mist-covered river after a light rain, it's no wonder Wushan has inspired so many romantic and beautiful ancient poems. My first impression of Wushan is a land of great mountains and rivers, where scenes from paintings come to life.

Wushan Museum covers a total area of 8,334 square meters, featuring one permanent exhibition, two special exhibitions, and one temporary exhibition, mainly including "Wushan, Wushui, Wu Culture," "Treasures of the Long River," and "Splendid Mountains." It houses over 40,000 cultural relics, including more than 1,000 precious artifacts, ranging from Paleolithic tools from a million years ago to various relics from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

If you are a museum enthusiast, I believe you could spend an entire day exploring Wushan Museum. The collection is rich, with distinct regional characteristics and intriguing mysterious culture. Different halls have different connotations, each with its own treasure. Even if you're just passing through, I hope you'll take a look at these gems!

The museum recreates the living scenes of the "Wushan Man" from over 2 million years ago. It features a simulated cave about 4 meters deep and 4 meters high, with "Wushan Man" and some artifacts, realistically showing the living conditions of ancient humans, accompanied by text and illustrations, completely displaying the "Wushan Man." Frankly, the "Wushan Man" exhibition hall is the most invested and unique hall in Wushan Museum.

According to the guide, this is a fossilized tooth of the Wushan Man from 2.04 million years ago, a lower jaw molar said to be left by the earliest humans, marking the origin of all East Asians.

This treasure is an official ornament, the "Eastern Han Dynasty Four Spirits Queen Mother of the West Persimmon-Calix-Shaped Gilt and Silver Copper Ornament." Based on research, it is a relic from the Eastern Han Dynasty, identified as a first-grade cultural relic by the Chongqing Cultural Relics Appraisal Team. It is 40 cm long, 1 cm in diameter, and 0.05 cm thick, a thin persimmon-calix-shaped copper piece, gilt and silver-plated on the surface, with a circular nail hole in the center. The exquisite craftsmanship from the Eastern Han Dynasty far exceeded my imagination. This artifact is over 2,000 years old, witnessing countless vicissitudes through the ages!

The thousand-year-old hanging coffins within Wu culture also have a mysterious appeal. If you want to learn about Wu Nuo culture, you can spend more time here. Shamanic civilization is also a splendid part of it!

I recommend everyone to see the top ten treasures of Wushan Museum. Besides, there are many exquisitely crafted collections worth stopping to admire!

The closest to us in the museum is the temporary exhibition on the fourth floor—"A Century of Wushan: The Era of Coupons and Tickets." Here you can see many childhood items, such as grain coupons, small coins, and cassette tapes. These items bearing memories of old times can unexpectedly take you through time!

My father used to work at a supply and marketing cooperative. When I saw the cooperative scene, vivid memories of hiding and seeking in the warehouse as a child came flooding back. I often miss the good old days.

Next to it is a granary, with a writing desk, an abacus, and a windmill for winnowing rice. These were once familiar sights. The distant era and past history now only remain as vague memories!

Wushan Museum has a rich collection, with many places worth lingering. I suggest setting aside at least two hours; otherwise, you'll only have time for a quick visit. But I hope your trip will be worthwhile!

**Second Stop: Must-See Performance – Indoor Fantasy Show "Wushan Goddess"**

The entire performance of "Wushan Goddess" lasts one hour. The ticket price is 198 RMB/person(1 USD ≈ 7.2 RMB) currently discounted to 128 RMB/person(1 USD ≈ 7.2 RMB).

Showtimes: Starting from October 1, 2020, two shows daily: first at 14:30, second at 19:30.

I arrived in Wushan on September 28 and happened to catch the premiere of "Wushan Goddess" that afternoon. Before entering, I heard that the show had invited people of different ages to watch rehearsals, and many were moved to tears, especially the young. I thought to myself, this love story can't be that touching, but later I also choked up!

"Wushan Goddess" is based on musical and dance dramas, combined with Chinese national style and trends, integrating singing, dancing, visuals, and technology. It features exquisite stage costumes and makeup, and extensively uses holographic projection, laser engraving, fog machines, and other new artistic expressions. The entire performance is grand, magnificent, and breathtaking, overturning the previous visual experience of watching shows. Once seen, it's unforgettable!

The script tells the story of the Wushan goddess through modern creative forms, incorporating elements of Wushan's scenery, culture, and products, both shocking and touching. Watching the entire play offers a fantastic visual feast, presenting a three-dimensional, mystical, and passionate image of Yaoji.

Prologue: On the peak of Wushan, clouds and mist swirl, strange peaks stand tall.

The play begins with an old white-haired man standing under the Goddess Peak, telling a beautiful story to passersby.

**First Chapter: "Love at First Sight"**

The lively and spirited girl Yaoji and the confident young man Aze meet by chance in the forest due to a beautiful misunderstanding. They start communicating heart-to-heart through songs, eventually overcoming many difficulties to be together.

**Second Act: "Entering the World"**

Aze brings Yaoji back to the tribe. With the sun rising and setting, they work, fish, and gather together. In a joyful atmosphere, they dance enthusiastically, creating a peaceful scene.

**Third Act: "Protection"**

A water demon appears. To protect the village, Yaoji transforms into a goddess and fights the water demon army. To save all living beings, she does not hesitate to turn into a peak to control the waters.

This chapter is the most moving part. As I choked up, I noticed many girls around me sobbing, quietly wiping tears with tissues.

**Epilogue: "Red Leaves Wushan"**

Years later, the world prospers. Many villagers pray devoutly under the Goddess Peak. An old man strokes the red leaf necklace on his chest, gazing at the Goddess Peak, reluctant to leave for a long time.

Summarizing my feelings about this play: "beautiful, romantic, and touching." Whether it's the sincere stage performance of the actors, the scene design, or the outstanding costume tailoring, everything is unforgettable! The background music and ending song are both moving, creating a strong sense of immersion! I recommend "Bu Gui Bu Wang" (Never Return Never Forget) to everyone.

Exiting the Goddess Theater, there's a sales area for cultural creative products and local specialties. Prices are reasonable, so you can conveniently buy some for relatives and friends. I must mention the bright and fresh style here, which is more photogenic than many internet-famous spots. I couldn't resist taking a photo as a souvenir.

**Third Stop: Depart for the Summit of the Three Gorges, See the Goddess Peak at Shennu Tiansky Road (Goddess Sky Road)**

Shennu Tiansky Road is located 100 meters east of the intersection of County Road 003 and Provincial Road 301 in Wushan County. It takes about an hour to drive from the county town up the mountain.

The day after watching "Wushan Goddess," I planned to see the Goddess Peak in person. Unfortunately, it was drizzling, and the road was shrouded in clouds and mist, allowing only glimpses of a few peaks.

After taking the cable car and the Goddess Elevator, I reached the viewing platform and waited for a long time, but the clouds and fog didn't disperse, and the face of the Goddess Peak never revealed itself. This regret can only be fulfilled on my next visit!

The average altitude of this scenic area is about 1,200 meters, a few degrees cooler than the city, especially on rainy days. Remember to bring a thick jacket when going up the mountain. The road to the scenic area is often shrouded in clouds and mist, worthy of being called the most beautiful country road. On the way back to the city, I kept planning my next trip to Wushan—coming back when the red leaves bloom, leaving no regrets.

It's over 400 kilometers from downtown Chongqing to Wushan. By car, it takes about 6 hours.

1. By bus: Take a direct bus from Chongqing Station to Wushan County (7 hours), ticket price 140 RMB(1 USD ≈ 7.2 RMB).

2. By high-speed rail and bus: Take a high-speed train from Chongqing North to Wanzhou, then a bus to Wushan County (4.5 hours), ticket price 165 RMB(1 USD ≈ 7.2 RMB).