Yangtze River, China October 4-7, 2006

The Victoria Queen, a five-star river cruiser, sails up and down the Yangtze between ChongQing and Wuhan on a regular basis. Passengers boarding in ChongQing board can usually spend the day sightseeing in the area because the ship doesn't leave until 11:00 PM. Past passengers have given the ship very high ratings. The terminal is quite near the spot where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers flow together. Ships and boats can navigate their way upstream from coastal cities and ports on the lower reaches of the river all the year round. With over a hundred cruise ships that begin their itineraries in the city, ChongQing is the best place to start a Yangtze River cruise tour. Cruising down China's longest river, the Yangtze and passing through the famous Three Gorges is one of the highlights while traveling in China.

The Victoria Queen was built in 1995 and completely remodeled in 2003. It is about 275 feet in length and roughly 45 feet abeam. It has four passenger decks and its one hundred staterooms and suites can accommodate 206 people.

Although the Three Gorges cruise on the Yangtze is best know for its fantastic natural beauty and for the immense Three Gorges Dam, there are some "human" scenes that can capture tourists' attention and interest. Even before boarding their cruiser, passengers can begin observing people carrying on with their normal daily routines--- preparing chickens for market, carrying heavy loads on shoulder poles, selling street corner snacks, pushing boats through shallow river shoals, etc. "Human sights" go on and one and are for some the most captivating aspects of the whole Yangtze adventure.

Going on deck after their the first night on board, passengers almost immediately see that the Yangtze is a major transportation artery, serving boats and ships of all kinds--- other tourist cruisers, coal barges, fishing boats, and short haul "junks." This is an important bit of "local background" that helps put the right perspective on the whole cruise tour.

Going downstream on the Yangtze River, travelers encounter Precious Stone Stronghold--- Shibaozhai temple--- a gem of Chinese architecture that hugs a sheer rectangular cliff. It was started during the Qing Dynasty in 1650 and remains one of the most spectacular sites along the river. This structure, built without nails, was erected in two phases. The lower portion was built into the cliff face while the upper portion was built above the cliff line Now comprising three parts--- the entrance gate, a nine-story wooden pavilion, and a small temple at the top--- this 12-story, 190 foot wooden red pavilion

On its yellow-glazed entrance gate is an inscription inviting the visitor to climb a ladder and ascend into a Little Fairyland--- the top temple. Originally, the top temple was inaccessible because of its elevation but later an iron chain was attached to the cliff so visitors could gain access to it by means of a strenuous climb. In 1819, however, the nine-story red wooden pavilion with a spiral staircase stairs was added so that monks and visitors to the temple would not have to suffer the discomforts of the ascent by using chains.

There is a large stone terrace at the top where visitors can get a panoramic view of what lies below --- the winding river, the village, and the countryside--- and feel immersed in a sea of clouds. In the middle of the terrace is with a well called Duck Hole. It was once said that during late spring, if you dropped a duck down the hole, it would quickly reappear swimming in the Yangtze. Another bit of local gossip said that in the past monks apparently drew their drinking water from this hole by using a pipe made of bamboo.

A "spirit wall" in the temple's main hall is dedicated to Generals Zhang Fei and Yan Yan of the Three Kingdoms and a mural depicts the goddess Nuwo repairing the sky. Fossils of fish and a tail section of a dinosaur found by the river's edge are on exhibit in the hall. In the rear hall are the remains of the Rice Flowing Hole. Legend has it that long ago just enough husked rice would flow from the small hole each day for the needs of the monks. Revealing his human side, however, a greedy monk attempted to get more rice and chiseled a bigger hole and so the flow of this Chinese staple was denied the monastery forever.

Almost all cruise passengers want head off for shore excursion to Fengdu, the so-called "Ghost City." According to Chinese fable, the spirits of the good go to heaven but those of the evil are sent to Fengdu. With awesome temples constructed by the river bank and statues of ghosts and devils abounding, Fengdu seems to be something exactly right for the setting of a Hollywood horror movie.

Actually, the origin of the town's extraordinary reputation can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) .Two officials from the imperial court, Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng, got disenchanted with the political life and came to Mt. Minshan outside Fengdu City to practice Taoist teachings. Both of them later became immortals by carrying out self-cultivation. This story widely spread and Mt. Minshan became famous. When combined together, their surnames Yin and Wang, sound very much like "King of Hell" in Chinese. Hence the people began to call Fengdu the "Ghost City."

To Chinese, the social structure in the hell is exactly like that in this world. In hell, a sprit would go through a whole and complete bureaucracy to get the final sentence. The pure spirits would be rewarded and the sinful ones would be severely tortures. Different tortures would be given to different sins.

Located on the northern bank of the river between Zhongxian and Fuling, the Fengdu is central to two classic Chinese works--- Monkey King and Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. It is overlooked by Mt. Mingshan Hill and has an eerie feel to it--- with deserted streets and empty shops. Seemingly, the only people to be found are those who make a living from visiting cruise boats. However, when the cruise boats tie up, the town throngs with tourists who want to see the temples and shrines dedicated to the Gods of the underworld. (Some ships arrange an early night visit to the ghost city just to catch the terrifying effects.)

On a "normal" visit, Cruise passengers can climb (or take a cable car) to the top of 900 foot Mt. Mingshang to see the most famous local landmark, the Ghost King, a sculptured statue. This attraction is roughly 400 high and 600 feet wide--- its tongue alone is approximately 250 feet long. The Guinness World Records has listed it as the world's biggest sculpture carved on a rock. The temple built on Mt. Minshan displays instruments of torture and wide demon images, which vividly depict the Chinese people's imagination of Hell. Other landmarks here bear horrific names--- Last Glance at Home Tower, Nothing-to-be-done Bridge, River of Blood, and Ghost Torturing Pass--- the three trials for ghosts who wanted to enter the nether world.

The Lesser Three Gorges include are three separate valleys of the Daning River--- Dragon Gate Gorge, Misty Gorge, and Emerald Gorge. Extending thirty miles from the Dragon Gate Gorge in the south to Tujiaba in the north, the Lesser Three Gorges have been selected as one of the nation's forty top tourist attractions by the China Tourism Commission.

Lying on on the lower reaches of the Daning, a major tributary of the the Yangtze, the gorges are truly spectacular, with sheer cliffs soaring towards the sky from the brown-green water. Mountain tops hover above the ribbon of mist, disconnected from their roots. Its "subtle mountains, clear waters, pretty rocks, dangerous rapids, sharp turns, fantastic caves, and stalactites in various shapes" create the timeless beauty that you see in Chinese landscape paintings. Monkeys, as well as mandarin ducks and other water birds, can be seen loitering on big boulders in this area.

The sides of the river are often walled by cliffs where a simple slip meant disaster and a plunge into treacherous currents. It is not uncommon to see bodies of animals and humans who have made a fatal misstep tumbled into the river waters. Hardly ever are efforts made to recover the bodies of those people (adults and children) claimed by the Yangtze because, in the minds of practical locals, it would be impossible to establish who they were or from which part of the river they had come. "The Yangtze buries its own dead," they say.

Dragon Gate Gorge, a mile and a half long, is the shortest of the three, stretching from the Dragon Gate Bridge to the Rapids of Silver Nest. It is spectacular due to the mountains on both sides that are so high that they seem to touch the sky. Visitors see the remains of the longest ancient plank walkway in China and a number of scenic sights, such as the Dragon-Gate Spring, Gate Guarded by Lion, Nine Dragons Pillar, etc. Shooting the Rapids of Silver Nest, the boats fly like arrows. The Daning then meanders through terraced hillside before entering the Misty Gorge. The boat has to pass the Panda Cave, Nameless Gorge, and Pipazhou.

Misty Gorge, six miles long, starts at the Tortoise Shoal and ends at the Double Dragon Town. Stalactites in numerous shapes and various sculptured groups have formed on both banks of the river. The traditionally seen shapes resemble the Monkey Fishing in the Air, Horse-Returning to Mountain, Dragon In and Tiger Out, Dragon-returning Cave, Fairy Peach Peak, Fairy Throwing a Silk Ball, the Goddess of Mercy Seated on Lotus Platform, Piggy Worshipping the Goddess of Mercy, Suspending Coffin. All are remarkably lifelike, and many scenes are related to wonderful fairy tales or touching legends.

Emerald Gorge extends for twelve miles from the Double-Dragon Town to Tujiaba. On the banks, each peak seems more beautiful than the others and the bamboo groves are luxuriantly verdant. Mandarin ducks swim in pairs in the river and monkeys leap from branch to branch. Other scenic spots include the Water Curtain Cave, Stalactite Buddha on Cliff, the Dancing Rain from Heavenly Spring, Sheep Cliff, the Mini-Three Gorges on Madu River, Imitation Plank Paths, Steel Rope Bridge, Sky-Scraping Red Wall, Boat Coffin, Two Eagles Playing on Screen and Flying Clouds Cave.

As tourism is expanding in China, the Lesser Three Gorges, like a shinning pearl hidden in remote mountains, has created a great attraction to the tourists both at home and abroad. Those who have been to the place seem to feel the embrace of nature. Most tourists say that this is the best river adventure China has to offer!

The Three Gorges Dam, the largest water conservancy project ever undertaken by man, has been a dream for several generations of Chinese people. The construction of the dam formally began in 1994 and the body completed in 2003. When the construction is competed in 2009, the dam will be 9,000 feet long, 550 feet high, sixty feet wide on the top, and nearly 400 feet wide at the bottom.

Planned to be by far the largest hydroelectric project in the world, the overall project calls for the construction of a concrete dam, a hydroelectric power plant, and a series of locks just below the Three Gorges region. Upon arrival at Sandouping, the nearest city, cruise passengers take a bus across the Three Gorges Bridge, which leads toward the top of the hill for a birds-eye view of the construction from an observation deck. Visitors will observe the five-step ship lock, the diversion canal, the dam in construction, and the power station. Guides are on hand to provide detailed information on the history of the dam and relate facts on its construction. In addition, an exhibition room displays a model of the dam and offers passengers another opportunity to ask questions and learn about the benefits of this gigantic project.

The Three Gorges Project will forever change the face of the Yangtze River as it is known today and will bring obvious benefits--- flood control, power generation, and navigation improvement. However, while measures have been taken to preserve and move the historical and cultural relics found along its banks, the project has a downside. Many scenic spots will be adversely affected--- for instance, the village shown in the center photo below will be inundated--- and, sadly, the most dramatic section of the river will disappear: the entire area from the Three Gorges all the way upstream to ChongQing--- the area that today's visitors know as the Heart of the Yangtze--- will eventually be drowned by the completion of the Three Gorges Dam.

It should not be thought that the Yangtze cruise experience is without its luxuries. While the daily routine does focus on the scenery--- natural and man-made--- there are on-board attractions, too. For example, gormets appreciate the "specialty" dining opportunities and those with an interest in folklore and cultural expression enjoy the evening entertainment offerings. And, if who find leaving everything at home is absolutely imposssible, most of the modern river cruisers have Internet facilities that allow workaholics (and grandparents) to stay in touch with the "outside" around the clock. Most ships feature international cable television in all cabins and international phone service is available.