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The Yangtze Three Gorges—A legend through past and present
Yangtze is the largest river of China, the third largest one in the world. She’s s also considered the mother river of our Chinese that created our culture and civilization. While the river flows through the mountain area covers Chongqing city and Hubei Province those twists and turns formed the Three Gorges, one of the most known to go and to learn in China.
The Three Gorges area created quite different and unique civilization from northern China in culture, native tribes called “Bha” established several independent states since ancient but not as strong as those ones in north. Basically got started with Woo-do things—a mixture of natural and ghosts worship. Natives believe there existed giant snakes all over the place, ppl consider them sort of Lords control and command all between heaven and earth.
Which is unexplained that sporadic giant snake eyewitness reports still come up even present days, including natives, villagers or hikers backpackers keep saying they did see some sort of weird creatures between dragon and snake especially while those streams get heavily flooded in deep summer. This area belongs to typical Karst landform with lots of underneath
caves and rivers that might be shelters for those unknown, unidentified and unconfirmed scary living features.
In ancient this entire area was considered remote, less populated and uncivilized land for those discharged and exiled officials from central government in northern China or those bad luck poets or scholars failed to get correctly assigned or promoted. The different is one was “been” and another one was active. They brought into advanced techs, science, beautiful arts and brand new opinions all pretty much speed up local development.
While a decisive battle between tow warlords who separately held Sichuan and
Hubei Province was taken place in Three Gorges area that almost marked the end of Three-Kingdom Period about 2000 years ago this area became well known all over China. The emperor of Sichuan requested words from his smart prime minister to take over his nation and look after his young children while he was dying in “White Emperor Town” exactly located in Three Gorges after a terrible failure. This event has been known for years for the detail and interesting description in a novel called
. The site where this happened is now a river shore excursion spot for those Yangtze cruise travelers.
The tomb of this emperor is now in Chengdu—the provincial capital of Sichuan Province, however civil legends surely believe this mystery site is just located underneath the White Emperor Town—the city itself is actually the tomb. Been years countless explorers keep trying to discover those legendary hidden treasure in this unearth tomb and some other secrete cliff side caves all along the gorges shore. While the water rise up to cover this town due to the construction of the big dam downstream the river this mystery site is now gone and might never be unearthed. It might be better to keep those legends in ppl’s minds than digging them out.
This whole area is actually pretty much influenced by Three Kingdom history, those legends locally passed down through generations, artists presented lots beautiful works, it became an attractive destination since ancient.
Another high light is all about ancient Chinese style sexual romance. Legend says while an ancient emperor cruising around here a fairy lady came into his dream and sexually spent an impressive night with the emperor. He asked her name and further information while this lady was leaving, she said A huge fresh water lake in Chongqing
It's called "Chung-shou Lake" means "longevity". “I’m cloud while daytime and rainfall at night, meet me around Yang-thai Rock day and night” (旦为朝云,暮为行雨,朝朝暮暮,阳台之下). This later on became a symbol of sexual activity in our culture, artists are now still using this to represent any related action or thoughts. A famous “Goddess Peak” is still standing on the top of a high mountain in Woo Gorge—one of the three in Yangtze River. It’s actually a natural stone pillar with a shape looks like a person standing there. Ppl believe that’s the lady still expecting her sweet heart up there.
Present days travelers would pick up Chongqing City as the bery beginning of their Yangtze river ride. Those cruises sailing in the river are more like moving 4 or 5 star hotels. All the facilities and service are nice and lovely. A downstream ride takes 2 days and 5 days for upstream. The cruise fare costs around 300 to 1000 USD per person depends different cruise or different cabin class. The river guides, local guides and most of the staff all speak English—might not so well but available, all these make the star rated luxury cruises become the first option for most westerners, especially regular group travelers for everything will be well organized and arranged.
Backpackers could also take those domestic shuttle ships costs around 200 yuen to 1500 yuen per person also depends upon cabin class. However travelers need to share with other 5 or 7 passengers if ppl take cabins below 2nd class without private bathrooms. The fare is fixed no bargaining, guides or crew barely speak English and even security might be little concerned. Another option goes to a sort of Jet Boat, for those who wonna skip the view all along the river and just need a straight-delivery ride to their destinations. It takes about 8 hours from Chongqing to Fengjie—the start of Three Gorges.
Hiking along the river shore through the gorges area would be recommended, camping tour also available in most seasons. Hiking makes travelers to view the gorges in a total different angle, and some unique experience including hiking along the cliff side walk by the river and closer view of those mysterious hanging coffin. The cliff side walk was built and used by those trackers years ago while boats still needed to be manually pull upstream the river through the gorges area for the current was so strong that those wooden made ones without engines equipped were not able to make it by themselves.
A real local experienced informative and helpful guide will certainly be needed. Our advice is: don’t even try to be a lonely hero in pairs at least.
Yichang City, a medium size city located just nearby the Yangtze water control project is now the destination for most cruise travelers. It even can be considered a bonus that to get though the 5 steps boat lock in the Dam. The entire process takes normally 5 hours. After the dam travelers would disembark their cruises and transfer to bus or air ride to the next destinations. This was taken place after the construction of the dam, before that travelers would continue their river ride till Wuhan city—a large and modern city of Hubei Proivice.
On the river way from Yichang to Wuhan there’s one more stop worth to do is Dung-tin fresh water lake—one of the largest ones in China. A legend tells one of the tow concubines of an ancient great emperor died here—somewhere inside the huge lake while she heard His Majesty recently died on his way home.
She badly cried till her tears were out and only blood instead. There’s a sort of bamboo with dark spots on the tree trunk was said caused by her blood tear drops. This site actually located in Hunan Province—Chairman Mao’s homeland.
Wuhan always be a VIP city for its’ central location just at the meeting point of 2 big rivers—Yangtze and one of its’ branch rivers. Modern heavy industry started here since late Manchu Dynasty—around 1900’s. There’s a large well-known military factory produces rifles used by lots Chinese soldiers during several civil wars and Anti-Japanese War. In the year 1911 Wuhan became the place the very first fire shot came out in Doc Sun-Yet-San’s revolution. In 1960’s Chairman Mao was here and took a swim in Yangtze which considered a symbolic action to encourage our Chinese ppl to conquer all the difficulties and enemies while China was in both natural and diplomatic crisis.
The city is now a huge provincial capital with over 8 million ppl and well developed economy system, French Citroen and Japanese Honda both have large manufacturing base here. A downstream river ride from Wuhan city all the way to Shanghai is actually a tour through the best and richest part of China which both traditionally and currently represents the real Chinese culture.
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