Best Yangtze River Cruise

Upon your arrival at Yichang airport, our tour guide will pick you up. Then we will drive to the Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal and take a shuttle bus to the Maoping port, where you will embark on the exciting cruise ship on the Yangtze River.

Located in the southwest of Hubei province, Yichang covers an area of about 21,227 square kilometers and has a population of over 4 million. Home to majestic mountains and complex terrain along the Yangtze River, Yichang can provide you with many precipitous and beautiful gorges. Influenced by monsoon climate, Yichang has a hot and humid summer as well as a cold and dry winter.

This is your first morning on the cruise ship, how about having a Tai Chi morning exercise by following the Tai Chi master? In the fast-paced life of modern society, Tai Chi is one of the best ways to keep fit and help you  distract your attention from bustling life.

There is no activities during the whole morning, so you can immerse yourself in these charming landscapes. After lunch, there will be an optional activity for you to experience-board sightseeing-ferry sailing through TGP ship’s elevator. It took six and a half years to construct this elevator which can carry a ship weighing up to 3,000 tons! Within 10 minutes, the elevator can rise by 118 meters. In the past, it took the ships 3.5 hours to pass through the dam. Now, it just takes 40 minutes. And now you can closely experience the whole process of its ascending. If you are interested in it, you can experience it.

Then you will have a shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam Site. You can appreciate this project from different angles. Three Gorges Dam, built in 1994 is the largest hydroelectric power project in the world. It is employed to produce clean energy. This great project makes contributions to many areas, such as flood prevention and drought control. The dam not only plays the roles of power generation, but also plays the roles of navigation. For example, the ship’s elevator can take ships to pass across the Three Gorges Dam quickly and conveniently. It looks really magnificent, so do not miss them.

In the evening, the crew will hold a Captain’s Welcome Reception for you. All you need to do is just relax during the first night in the Yangtze Cruise Tour. You can enjoy the shows and make some new friends here. And buffet dinner will also be prepared for you.

The Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam

After getting up, free to do some Tai Chi morning exercise and then have buffet breakfast. Later you will be transferred to a boat and take a shore excursion along the Shennong Stream, a tributary of the Yangtze River. With a length of 60 kilometers, the Shennong Stream flows south and is flanked by steep gorges. Local people have lived on the banks of the Shennong Stream since the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). In the past, there were many “hanging” coffins on the high vertical cliffs. Although most of these coffins have been destroyed and gone missing over time, there is still some traces for these mysterious coffins. And some coffins have been restored by archaeologist for further study. But to today, it is still a puzzle that why the ancient people choose such steep places as their cemetery.

In the afternoon, the ship will pass through the Wu Gorge, the second longest gorge of the three gorges on the Yangtze River. Stretching 45 kilometers, it is located downstream of Qutang Gorge. When the ship passes here, you cannot miss the Twelve Peaks, which have different shapes. Except for the Twelve Peaks, there are three small gorges along the Daning River (the largest tributary of the Yangtze River), which are also called “Yangtze Three Small Gorges”. It is a combination of Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge, and Dicui Gorge. The narrowness of the gorges highlights the loftiness of the mountains. When you look up, you will see the one-line sky. And when you look down, you will see colorful pebbles.

Then, you will visit the Qutang Gorge, the shortest and most spectacular one of the three gorges on the Yangtze River. Qutang Gorge gathers many natural sceneries and historical sites, such as the Bellows Gorge, Pink Rock Wall, and Ancient Plank Road. At the entrance to the Qutang Gorge, there is a daunting rock which spreads out across the river. There is an old story spread widely about this rock. In ancient times, a mythical creature named Jiao lived at the bottom of the river. It can control the forces of nature. But, it often abused its supernatural power, as a result, it caused disasters to the local people. Knowing that situation, Nuwa (a goddess in ancient Chinese mythology) was very angry with what it had done. So, she threw a magical rock to suppress this creature. Since then, this creature could only stay at the bottom and it had never came out again.

When the ship pass the Fengjie County, we have an optional shore excursion to White Emperor City, located on the northern shore of the Yangtze River. It used to be surrounded by mountains on three sides, but now it is on an island due to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Mentioning the White Emperor City, there is a touching story, which happened in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). After losing the battle against the Kingdom of Wu, Liu Bei, the first emperor of the Kingdom of Shu, had to retreat to the White Emperor City. In this battle, the army headed by Liu Bei was hit hard, and his two sworn brothers also died. More importantly, he failed to fulfill his dream of unifying the three kingdoms. Therefore, Liu Bei was in grief and indignant all day long. Later, he got very sick. On his last days, he summoned Zhuge Liang, the military counsellor of the Kingdom of Shu, and said to him, “If my son has the potential to be a capable emperor, you can assist him to govern the kingdom. And if not, you can take his place.” Zhuge Liang cried and said, “I will try my best to serve and revitalize the country until I die.” Several days later, Liu Bei died and Zhuge Liang had fought for the country to fulfill his commitment until he died. For this story, the White Emperor City has become a city of loyalty.

White Emperor City

Qutang Gorge

After breakfast, free to practice Tai Chi and then have buffet breakfast. The whole morning is free for you to admire the scenery and do some activities.

After a buffet lunch, we will take a shore excursion to Fengdu Jade Emperor Scenic Area, located in the Fengdu County. Built on a mountain, it is famous for the huge head statue of Jade Emperor(the ruler of the heaven in Chinese mythology) on the mountain top. There are many exquisite halls in this scenic are, such as the Jade Emperor Hall, the Great Buddhist Hall, and the Prayer Hall. For many visitors, Jade Emperor Scenic Area is a must-see place if they want to worship the Jade Emperor and pray for the health and happiness of their family. When you climb up to the top of the mountain, you will have a close observation of this huge head statue and overlook the whole scenic area.

Then, we will have an additional shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City. You do not have to be afraid, because there are no ghosts at all. In the city, there are just many buildings and statues, such as the Tianzi Palace(the palace for the King of Hell), Gate of Hell(the only way to the hell), and the Naihe Bridge(a bridge connecting the real world and the hell). In Chinese mythology, when a person dies, his/her soul have to go through the Naihe Bridge to get rebirth. But if he/she was a bad person when he was alive, he/she will drop from the bridge and suffer torture. As long as you cross the bridge, you will forget your previous life and start a new life. There are still many other interesting halls and statues waiting for you to explore.

In the evening, you can attend the Captain’s Farewell Banquet. Enjoy the last night in this tour and create more memorable moments for yourself.

Fengdu Jade Emperor

Fengdu Ghost City

This morning, our guide will pick you up at the port in Chongqing and drive you to Chongqing airport. And it is time to say goodbye. Thank you for choosing and trusting us!

Author: Yalin Zhao

Proofreader: Yan Liu