China (Yangzi River Cruise, Chongqing) Sept 2009 D-12, D-13 & D-14

Map of Yangzi River Cruise
Chongqing > Yichang

As I booked a Yangzi river cruise tour package via my hostel, I had to meet our travel agent at Chaotianmen Square at around 2.00pm so as to join the rest of the tour group for a bus ride to Wanzhou, which took 4 hours with a short break mid-way. You could also book your tour at any of the travel agency operating near the Chaotianmen Square. Our group arrived at Wanzhou around 7.00pm, where our local tourist boat was anchored. If you like to have more comforts, opt for a luxury cruise liner eg Victoria Cruises but you probably have to pay 5-6 times more !

The excitement was about to start as our group boarded a 3 storey (6 double decker beds per cabin) local tourist boat to begin our 3 day tour of the Yangzi River from Wanzhou to Yichang.

In the bus, I met a Malaysian traveler from Ipoh, Michael Ong and we became friend and chatted with each other on our travel experiences in Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou.

As soon as I checked into my cabin and after using the cabin's bathroom, I discovered my waist pouch (inside there was a camera, a rechargeable battery and a wallet) went missing. I felt uneasy and reported this to the tour guide and the boat's security chief. After checking with the bus driver, nothing was found in the bus.

Feeling dejected, I went back to my cabin and as I had a stomach upset, I dashed to our cabin's bathroom cum toilet. Guessed what, I found my waist pouch hanging on the side wall inside the cabin's toilet ! Lost but found within a short period of time ! I think I left it hanging there without me realizing it. I was to be blamed for causing this trouble and the unnecessary works I had created to our tour guide and security staffs. I apologized to them profusely and blamed myself for been so absent minded. As for me, I was so relieved that evening and indeed I slept well that night.

The boat departed around 9.00pm and at around 12.00pm, our first stop was the Changfei Temple.

1) Changfei Temple - The temple facing the Yangzi River, was constructed in Shu-Han dynasty. Numerous collections dating back to Han & Tang dynasty are at present exhibited in the temple.

2) Baidi Cheng (White Emperor City) - located at the jaw of the Qutang Gorge. A number of stone tablets are displayed in the temple. Many poems were written here.

3) Local village food to whet your appetite at a stopover in Wushan - must be very tasty by the look of it ! Don't ask me how these food were prepared ! If today is my birthday, I will go for a pig trotter ! Yummy Yummy - lah ! But do you dare to eat, my friend ?

4) Qutang Gorge - Beginning from the Baidi City in the west to the Daxi Town in the east, Qutang Gorge is 8km long. The south bank has the Mt Baiyan and the north bank, Mt Chijia. Both mountains facing each other like a grandiosity gate called Kuimen. Some meaningful Chinese words were inscribed onto a cliff as our boat coasted along. Our group sighted a Rhinocerous-watching-the Moon peak ! Hanging coffins were seen at a few higher points in Qutang Gorge. I spotted one and quicky took a picture of the hanging coffin inside a small cave high up of the mountain- see below.

5) The Lesser or Little Three Gorges in Wushan - Our boat stopped for 5 hrs in Wushan to allow tourists to board a smaller boat to tour the scenic Lesser Three Gorges, which make up of three separate valleys of Danning River ie Dragon Gate Gorge (3km), Misty Gorge (10km) & Emerald Gorge (20km)

In between Qutang & Wu Gorges, the Lesser Three Gorges are much narrower and more impressive than their counterparts and this allows us to have a closer view of the rock formations. The mini Three Gorges of Madu River are made up of Changtan Gorge , Qinwang Gorge & Sancheng Gorge. This side trip (CNY200) was the most expensive among the five I signed up .

6) Sunset at Yangzi River and a quick snapshot on Badong Bridge when our boat passed by this place at night.

7) Madu River - Another side trip in Lesser Three Gorge. Another joyful boat ride !

8) Wu Gorge - Runs 44 km from the mouth of the Daning River to Guandukou in Badong County. Along this gorge, there are 12 peaks and the famous one is the Goddess Peak which looks like a beautiful girl.

9) Jiuwan Stream, Xiling Gorge - I really enjoyed this "dragon" boat ride. At the mid-point, all of us were given the opportunity to use the oar to pedal our long boat for 5 minutes. What a fun ! On arrival at the gorge, our group had to walk for 500m on a plastic made floating walk-path and climbed our way up to capture a panoramic view of the Xiling Gorge ! Not an easy climb but we made it. Before leaving the Gorge, we sat at a concert hall and watched an ancient legendary play about a great poet in the state of Chu , Qu Yuan who thrown himself into the river after losing out of favour in the state's politics. Come the 5th day of May of the Chinese lunar month each year, most Chinese will celebrate the Dragon Boat festival and make rice dumplings in remembrance of this great poet & patriot.

10) Nearing the end of the Yangzi River cruise - After the Jiuwan Stream boat ride, we were taken back to our tourist boat. We were given 1 hour rest and I took the opportunity to walk uphill to some local food stalls and ordered a deep fried river fish (CNY10) together with a plate of fried rice (CNY5) - what a sumptuous lunch of the day !

" The Yangzi River (Chang Jiang) is China's longest river and at 6,300km is the 3rd longest in the world. The Lonely Planet commented that by 2009 when the mega-project Three Gorges Dam is completed, the gorges will be part of history, 1.5 million people will have been displaced and south western China will never be the same. Despite the damned Yangzi, I still enjoyed the New Yangzi downriver cruise. I spotted this clock hanging on the wall at the guest lounge of the boat. It provides information (clockwise) on each destination covering the 3 day Yangzi River cruise starting from Chongqing followed by Fengdu Ghost City, Wanzhou, Wushan (at six o'clock) and ending in Yichang. A time table made simple for tourists taking this downriver cruise !

The Secrets of Life - Things which are not good for health, eat a little, eat once a while, but do not abstain them totally "