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Heartland of China -- The Yangtze's Mystical Three Gorges
Here is a travel article I wrote a while back regarding Chongqing’s biggest tourist attraction. For those who have visited and those who have yet to, I hope you enjoy it.
One of the most popular tourist destinations in China is a trip down (or up) the Yangtze River through the famous Three Gorges. If you haven’t had the chance yet, I for one would highly recommend it. It has a savage yet majestic atmosphere about it, and with all the press the Gorges have been getting recently, perhaps now is the time for you to make a commitment of a few days to visit this charming tourist destination. Here are some of the things you need to know in preparing for a trip through what the locals call “Chang Jiang San Xia” (长江三峡).
THE YANGTZE
One of the great rivers of the world, the Yangtze is third largest in both length and water volume. It divides China into north and south, and about 700 tributaries of various sizes empty into it. It spans 6,300 km from its origins high in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau 6,600 meters above sea level, to its estuary near Shanghai at the East China Sea. The Gorges are located about half way downstream, a 640 km stretch of the river from Fengjie County in Chongqing Municipality to Yichang City in Hubei Province. The Yangtze started carving out the 3 Gorges about million years ago, about 40 million years ago, around the time that the Himalayan mountain range began rising and west China became higher than the east. Nowadays, one third of China’s population lives in the Yangtze’s catchment area of 1.8 million square kilometers.
CHOOSING YOUR VESSEL
With a great variety of ships to choose from, you would be well served by doing some research before snapping up the first ticket that comes your way. All major hotels and travel agencies in the Chongqing area offer ticketing services, so you can check with them about the various categories and classes of ships. Top of the line companies include Victoria Cruises, Regal Cruises, and President Cruises, with standard fare from Chongqing to Wuhan ranging from 3,000 RMB to 5,000 RMB (about US $360 to $630) depending on the company, ship, season, and travel agency mark-up. This should include food, accommodation, and excursion fees. There are also a number of lesser quality ships that can offer relatively comfortable accommodations for a much cheaper price. For those on a real shoe-string budget, there are the passenger ferries that can save you a bundle, if you have no objections to sleeping on a mat on the floor and having to put up with the sensual bombardment of live chickens, all night gab sessions by your local roommates, incessant clouds of cigarette smoke, and less than hygienic food preparation. You may likely have to miss a whole or a part of a gorge, as these ferries are not technically tourist vessels and don’t stop except to pick up or drop of passengers.
For the better cruise lines, I wouldn’t recommend booking on line; even if it can be done successfully, you will be paying more. It is best to deal with a ticketing agent face-to-face, and like with most purchases in China, you may be able to swing a good deal with a little research, persistence, and those well-honed bargaining skills you develop after being in China for a while! If money is not a consideration, most ships have a number of “Shangri-La” and deluxe suites available to make your sightseeing all the more comfortable. You can book upgraded suites in advance or once you check in. Victoria Cruises is now developing the Eastern Yangtze cruise that continues on from or starts in Wuhan. The ship travels mostly at night and offers extended shore excursions to Lu Mountain in Jiujiang, picturesque Yellow Mountain, and the green South Capital of Nanjing before arriving near Shanghai. This trip entails a further 4 days downstream from Wuhan, and if you have the time, is a great way to see the sites while traveling in comfort. You can visit their self-titled website for more information.
DAY 1 – EVENING DEPARTURE
On the typical cruise, the ships leave port in Chongqing around 9 or 10 pm, but some leave in the morning. As an independent traveler (known as an “FIT” in the tourism trade), you will have to navigate your way down to the right dock in Chongqing. The docks are sequentially numbered, with the smaller numbers being closest to Chao Tian Men (Heaven’s Gate) right at the tip of the Peninsula downtown sandwiched between the Yangtze and Jialing River. If you are not familiar with the city and don’t know where the ship is, try to find out as soon as possible. Some ships dock on the Jiang Bei side of the Yangtze across the Jialing, and occasionally even on the north bank of the Yangtze, making it very hard to get to. Watch out for the ubiquitous porters known as the “Bang Bang” Army. If not supervised, they can be extremely aggressive and may well try to wrest your baggage from you and carry it to the ship, or escort the elderly down the stairs (willingly or otherwise) and all the way to the ship in hopes of making a few RMB. If you do happen to be traveling heavy and need the help, a rule of thumb for foreign visitors is 10 Yuan per bag. Be clear on the price first or a shouting match may ensue. Most of the better ships will have their young staff on shore waiting to receive guests. Look for them if you have any trouble.
Once safely aboard with room key in hand, the cruise director or river guide will give an orientation introducing key staff members, an overview of the cruise, the facilities aboard, and the all-important tipping policy. Most ships have a tip box located strategically near the front desk, and proceeds from the tip box at the end of the cruise are distributed equally among all the staff, which could number up to 120. Service staff also accept personal tips, and will work hard in anticipation of that little extra bonus. Local guides and bus drivers on the shore excursion will appreciate a tip of 5 or 10 Yuan for their services. Just don’t expect the highest quality of English; theirs is a cut below what you hear in Beijing or Shanghai. If you can make out two thirds of their Chinglish, consider yourself fortunate.
Generally speaking, most ships arrange buffet style breakfasts and lunches. A variety of dishes are prepared and kept warm in chaffing dishes. If you want to avoid the lineup, you may come down 20 or 30 minutes after the restaurant opens. Dinners are sit-down, and the food is brought directly to the table where you can jockey for the best tasting dishes by spinning around the “lazy Susan” to your best advantage. Arrangements can be made free of charge for vegetarians, but any extra dishes ordered off the menu must be paid out of pocket.
DAY 2 – SHIBAOZHAI (Precious Stone Fortress)
If you are heading downstream, the first excursion quite likely will be the famous red pagoda of “Shibaozhai” the morning after a full night’s sailing. Called the “Pearl of the Yangtze”, this charming 12 story pagoda overlooks the Yangtze and is built to lean against a natural rock cliff. Many ships stop here, so it can get rather crowded in busy season, so make sure that after the walking tour, you return to the correct vessel! At the top of the cliff, 9 stories up the pagoda, lies a Taoist temple with a rich history, and a famous old salamander that lives in a small moat. The climb to the top is well worth the effort, and will provide some needed exercise during a cruise which is otherwise spent sitting and eating.
Most ships pass through the first gorge late that afternoon. The coal-mining town of Fengjie and historic Bai Di Cheng (White Emperor City) are near the entrance to the Qutang (Chew-Tang) gorge. Only 8 km long, it has the highest peaks, and takes only 15 to 20 minutes to navigate. Here you can see clearly the “tracker paths” carved right out of the limestone walls. Before the advent of motorized vehicles on the river, coolies were hired to pull ships upstream. This back-breaking work was extremely hazardous and many trackers lost their lives over the centuries to the dangerous rock embankments and unforgiving torrents of the river. The Gorge ends right at Daxi Village, sight of recent excavations that have unearthed artifacts dating over 5,000 years.
DAY 3 – Lesser 3 Gorges
The following morning’s excursion entails a boat trip through the well-known “Lesser Three Gorges” of Wushan County. Passengers transfer to smaller vessels and take a 3 to 4 hour trip up a tributary of the Yangtze called the Daning River. Before the 3 Gorges reservoir was raised to its current level of 138 meters above sea level in June of 2003, this excursion was done in small “sampans” that were able to navigate the clear rushing waters and accommodate up to 40 passengers. Now, much of the Daning is flooded as well, and larger ferry-style boats holding up to 150 make the trip much more comfortable. Some lament the fact that the scenery is not as spectacular or pristine as before, but it still makes for a wonderful outing. Some ships (especially those traveling upstream) take similar trips along the Shennong River near Badong. The reservoir does not extend inland quite as far, so there is still a chance to see a part of the tributary in its natural state and board smaller wooden “pea-pod” boats. Experienced “trackers” pull passengers part of the way up some light rapids, then guide the boat downstream as it floats back to the reservoir area.
After lunch, the cruise ship sets sail through the Wu (Witches) Gorge, certainly the most impressive of the three. This is home of the legendary 12 peaks, the most famous of which is Goddess Peak. The river guide aboard your ship will tell you the legend of how an immortal once visited the earth, and having become so enamored of the Yangtze and 3 Gorges, eventually lost her status as a deity and turned to stone high above the river, where to this day she perches high on her peak
last modified Sep 24, 2004 at 1:30
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