After the locks, the river widens out considerably to a number of miles wide. On this stretch of river there is much barge traffic. The people live on their barges. It is their home and job. Tugboats will be seen to tow a dozen or more barges to destinations along the river. The bottom of the river is generally above the surrounding land. It was fascinating to watch this traffic on the river.

East of Dongting Lake is the town of Yueyang. Another nine hours will bring you to Wuhan, at which point most travelers will end their Yangtze River cruise. On the way to Wuhan, some cruising lines offer shore excursion to another city of Jiujiang, which is famous for Mt. Lushan.