Baiheliang: World’s Only Underwater Museum Awaits

Baiheliang Underwater Museum Highlights

Tucked away in Chongqing’s Fuling district, the Baiheliang Underwater Museum is a captivating testament to history submerged beneath the Yangtze River. It is part of the Three Gorges Museum complex, with the main exhibition in Chongqing’s urban area.

This extraordinary site is renowned for the Baiheliang inscriptions, a collection of ancient carvings etched into a massive rock ledge known as Baiheliang, or “White Crane Ridge.”

Before the Three Gorges Dam transformed the river’s water level, the Yangtze’s waters would recede during dry seasons, revealing this giant rock. Poets, scholars, and travellers would stroll its surface, inspired by the serene landscape to compose poetry and carve their words into stone.

During the Tang Dynasty, when poetry flourished as a cherished art form, Baiheliang became a canvas for creativity.

Over time, the rock amassed 165 intricate engravings, including evocative poems, detailed fish illustrations symbolizing abundance, and serene Avalokiteshvara statues embodying compassion.

These carvings, spanning over 1,200 years, offer a glimpse into the cultural and spiritual life of ancient China.

When the Three Gorges Dam was completed, the rising reservoir submerged Baiheliang beneath 40 meters of water, hiding it from view forever—or so it seemed.

To preserve this treasure, a visionary 20-million-yuan project was launched. Engineers constructed an innovative underwater museum, complete with a protective cover over the rock, a network of corridors, and an exhibition hall.

Today, visitors descend via a sleek escalator to the riverbed, where 18 observation windows frame the ancient inscriptions in their watery gallery. As you gaze through the glass, the engravings glow softly, illuminated against the deep currents, inviting you to connect with a history that has endured for over a millennium.

The Baiheliang Underwater Museum isn’t just a destination—it’s a journey through time, where the past whispers beneath the waves, waiting to be explored.

Baiheliang Underwater Museum Operating Hours

Getting There

Things to Do

Facilities

Discover Chongqing with Haonan!

From mountains to grasslands, Chongqing has something to offer for everyone.

Start planning, find an inspiration, or search for a place.

Find

Or follow us on social media.