Abstract: The study of the Yangtze River evolution is key to revealing the interactions among tectonic uplift in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, the evolution of the Asian monsoon, and changes in geomorphic patterns. The connection of the Three Gorges is often regarded as the marker for the formation of the Yangtze River. However, "When were the Three Gorges connected?" remains unresolved despite over a century of research. Following the connection of the Three Gorges, detrital materials from the southeastern Tibetan Plateau were transported to the middle and lower Yangtze River and its marginal sea basins. Therefore, identifying the stratigraphic horizon where materials from the Tibetan Plateau first appeared in these basins is an effective approach to constraining the formation of the Three Gorges. This study provides a detailed review of sedimentological studies from these basins, summarizes advances in stratigraphic dating and provenance tracing studies (including heavy minerals, single-mineral geochronology, and isotopic geochemistry), and synthesizes the timing of the Three Gorges connection as revealed by various provenance tools. Large data indicate that detrital zircon U-Pb ages from the Mesozoic-Cenozoic strata within the Yangtze Craton have been homogenized, limiting their utility for provenance tracing. Future research could focus on utilizing newly developed sedimentary dating techniques, detrital thermochronology, and geomorphic modeling. Under the premise of fully considering the tectonic evolution of the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and East Asian climate changes, a comprehensive solution to this scientific challenge should be pursued from the perspective of Earth system science.