| Yangtze River
Attractions |
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Yangtze
River
 The
Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia
and third longest in the world. The headwaters
of the Yangtze are situated at an elevation
of about 16,000 feet in the Kunlun Mountains
in the southwestern section of Qinghai.
It flows generally south through Sichuan
into Yuanan then northeast and east across
central China through Sichuan, Hubei, Auhui,
and Juangsu provinces to its mouth, 3,720
miles, in the East China Sea north of Shanghai.
The river has over 700 tributaries but the
principal tributaries are the Hun, Yalong,
Jialing, Min, Tuo Jiang, and Wu Jiang. The
climate ranges from 96 degrees in the summer
to cold, brisk temperatures in the winter.
Precipitation is high due to the height
of the mountains.
Scenic Spots by Route
Chongqing to Wanxian
The cruise starts at Chongqing,
the biggest city in Southwest China and
key port of departure and destination for
Yangtze River cruises. For the first few
hours the river is lined with factories,
but this gives way to some pretty, green
terraced countryside with the occasional
small town.
 One
of the first stops is usually the town of
Fengdu. Nearby Pingdushan is said to be
the abode of devils. Here the famous 'ghost
City' is deserved to visit. Numerous temples
containing sculptures of demons and devils
have been built on the mountain since the
Tang dynasty, with heartening names like
'Between the Living and the Dead', 'Bridge
of Helplessness' and 'Palace of the King
of Hell'. Travelers have given mixed reviews
to this little 'Hell World' exhibit.
The boat then passes through
Zhongxian County. North-east of the county
seat of Zhongzhou is the Oian Jinggou site,
where primitive stone artefacts, including
axes, hoes and stone weights attached to
fishing nets, were unearthed.
Soon after comes the Shibaozhai
(Stone Treasure Stronghold) on the northern
bank of the river. Shibaozhai is a 30m-high
rock, which is supposed to look something
like a stone seal.
Next is the large town of Wanxian,
where most morning boats tie up for the
night. It's a neat, hilly town and a great
place to wander around for a few hours while
the boat is in port.
Wanxian to Yichang
Boats
overnighting at Wanxian generally depart
before dawn. Before entering the gorges
the boat passes by (and may stop at) the
town of Fengjie (Yong'an). This ancient
town was the capital of the state of Kui
during the Spring and Autumn and Warring
States periods from 722 to 221 BC. The town
overlooks the Qutang Gorge, the first of
the three Yangtze gorges.
Just east of Fengjie is a 1
km long shoal where the remains of stone
piles could be seen when the water level
was low. These piles were erected in the
Stone and Bronze ages, possibly for commemorative
and sacrificial purposes, but their remains
were removed in 1964 since they were considered
a danger to navigation. At the entrance
to the Outang Gorge, Baidicheng, or White
King Town, is on the river's northern bank.
The spectacular Sanxia (Three
Gorges), Outang, Wu and Xiling, start just
after Fengjie and end near Yichang, a stretch
of about 200 km. The gorges vary from 300m
at their widest to less that 100m at their
narrowest. The seasonal difference in water
level can be as much as 50m.
 In
between the Qutang and Wu gorges, most boats
will stop for five to six hours so passengers
can shift to smaller boats for tours of
the Lesser Three Gorges. Flanking the Daning
River, these gorges are much narrower than
their larger counterparts and, some travellers
say, more dramatic. You have the chance
to get out and view the rock formations
up close.
Xiling Gorge is the longest
of the three gorges at 80km. At the end
of the gorge everyone crowds out onto the
deck to watch the boat pass through the
locks of the huge Gezhouba Dam.
The next stop is the industrial
town of Yichang, which is regarded as the
gateway to the upper Yangtze and was once
a walled city dating back at least as far
as the Sui dynasty. Near the Yichang railway
station you can take bus No.10 to White
Norse Cave (baima dong), where for a fee
you can boat and walk through taverns with
impressive stalactites and stalagmites.
Five minutes' walk from the other end is
an equally impressive place - Three Visitors
Cave (sanyou dong), along with a cliff trail
that overlooks the Yangtze River.
Yichang to wuhan
 After
leaving Yichang, the next major town is
Shashi, a light-industrial town. After Shashi
there's not much to look at: you're out
on the flat plains of central China, the
river widens immensely and you can see little
of the shore. The boat continues down the
river to pass by (and possibly stop at)
the town of Chenglingji, which lies at the
confluence of Dongting Lake and the Yangtze
River.
East of Dongting Lake is the
town of Yueyang. Another nine hours will
bring you to Wuhan, at which point most
travellers are quite ready to part ways
with their boat.
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