Yangtze River Cruise - China’s Newly Tamed Yangtze

Exploring China’s Great River

We were seeing our ship, the East Queen, for the first time at 9:45 p.m. and were already worried. The steep steps leading down to a long, narrow metal plank with only rope handrails on either side frightened us.

The coffee-colored waters of the river flowed swiftly below. We knew we could do it, but what about our eight-year-old daughter Elizabeth? How could she make it across? As we turned to grab her hand we heard her voice. “C’mon Mom and Dad, you can do it!” Elizabeth had already crossed with one of the ship’s staff members and was waiting for us to board the medium-sized ship.

In China, the Yangtze River is the heart and soul of the nation. Its Chinese name is “Da Jiang,” meaning Great River. The Yangtze is the world’s third-longest river, winding through a series of rugged mountain ranges called The Three Gorges.

Computer tycoon Bill Gates rented this vessel years ago for his family to sail down the Yangtze. The 5000-ton ship, though hardly a luxury ocean liner, is one of the best and most modern-looking river boats in the country.

The first morning onboard, we joined fellow passengers for coffee and tea service on the sundeck. From here we had a 360-degree view of ancient pavilion temples, scenic waterfalls and farmers tending to their crops of pumpkins and mandarin oranges. Our guide discussed the history and future of the Yangtze and the Three Gorges project.

We learned the Three Gorges Dam now being built has been a dream since 1919. Hundreds of rivers and streams join the Yangtze, forming a raging torrent flowing eastward through the narrow and sometimes shallow gorges before emptying into the East China Sea.

Before beginning the construction of the damn, the river was wild and menacing and thousands of lives were lost through the ages due to flooding and dangerous currents.

In 1992, the Chinese government finally gave approval to build the world’s largest dam below The Three Gorges. The reservoir will be filled in stages, and it expected to be completed in 2009.

Many farmers have been relocated to higher land, or reluctantly, to larger cities. About 1.3 million people will receive money from the government for housing. This $15 billion project will save millions of lives over the coming years.

International environmental organizations have protested building the dam for years, but according to the Chinese government, the dam will generate electricity for millions of homes with its huge hydroelectric project, and will allow large ships to safely navigate the river.

After learning about this massive undertaking, our stomachs were rumbling for the breakfast buffet. We tried lotus seed paste buns (not sweet enough), congee (like oatmeal, but made from rice), soft rolls, eggs cooked to order, and fresh dragon fruit (looks like a kiwi, yet with white skin and small black seeds).

By mid-morning, passengers applied sunscreen, loaded cameras and disembarked on a visit to Shibaozhai. Known as the “precious stone fortress” this twelve-storey red pagoda built in 1662, hugs one side of a large rock. We climbed 108 steps and a ladder to reach the narrow top pavilion. The Chinese believe the higher you climb up a pagoda, the greater your reward when you pray. The views of the countryside and Yangtze were spectacular.

Next, we stopped to see a 15-year-old salamander in a small pond with colorful pink water lilies. The Chinese believe this two-foot-long gray creature protects the Shibaozhai from bad spirits. We were told to cross the small bridge over this “great salamander” in three steps if we wanted to live a thousand years and then enter heaven.

The next morning we arrived in Qutang, the first of The Three Gorges. Our guide pointed to some caves on the side of the limestone cliffs where wooden coffins were hanging on two wooden posts. These coffins, placed there hundreds of years ago, were facing south for the souls to enter heaven.

The second is the Wu Gorge. An ancient poet described it this way: “As the boat sails on the river, passengers feel like they are moving in splendid paintings.” We tumbled into narrow sampans crewed by four Chinese villagers. Our adventure began when the barely-clothed men jumped off and pulled us along with thick bamboo rope.

As the river flowed faster we could see white water rapids and the men jumped back into the sampan as we drifted toward the mouth again.

The last Gorge was the Xiling, once the most treacherous, but now much tamer since the water level has risen. Passing by brand new high-rise cities, we entered the massive concrete city of the Five-Locks. Six ships can fit snugly in each lock and the entire process of lowering down to the bottom locks took almost four hours. Our ship was one of the first to use the locks since the second phase of the project was completed.

A cruise down the Yangtze is a step back in time to a simple and peaceful world. For those who enjoy smooth journeys, this is an excellent time to take a slow boat in China to witness the beauty of rural villages and the ancient past of a culture rich in history and full of magnificent scenery.

Author : Jill and Eric Weinlein