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Yichang  is a medium-sized city located in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. It is the second largest city in Hubei province behind the province capital, Wuhan. Administratively, it is a prefecture-level city; its municipal government has jurisdiction over five counties, five urban districts, and three satellite county-level cities (Yidu, Dangyang, Zhijiang). The Three Gorges Dam is located within its administrative area, in Yiling District.

Yichang has long been a major transit port and distribution center of goods, and serves as the economic hub of western Hubei province and an intermediary between the major cities of Chongqing and Wuhan. Its primary industries are shipping and shipbuilding, taking advantage of its location on the Yangtze River.

Yichang prefecture is the site of many major hydroelectricity projects. The best known of them are the two huge dams on the Yangtze River: the Gezhouba Dam (located just upstream of Yichang central city) and Three Gorges Dam, which is 40 km upstream. The Geheyan Dam and Gaobazhou Dam on the Qingjiang are important as well. Besides, a huge number of medium-sized and small power plants operate on smaller rivers and streams within the prefecture.