The Lesser Three Gorges are between the Qutang Gorge and Qu Gorge, most boat trips along the route stop for a few hours to transfer passengers to smaller boat to see the "Lesser Three Gorges"along the Daning river.

Xiling gorge is known for its dangerous rapids, sharp turns, and numerous reefs and shoals. It consists of four smaller gorges called Military Books and Sword (Bingshubaojian), Bull$$s Liver and Horse$$s Lung (Niuganmafei), Kongling, and Lantern Shadow (Dengying). The recent construction of the Gezhouba water control project has helped calm the torrents but the charms of the scenery remain the same.