My first time on a Yangtze Cruise

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This is my first time to visit the Yangtze River. But I have traveled a lot in China. The Yangtze River, which is the longest in Asia and is the 3rdlongest in the world, has been a part of China’s culture, history, tradition and economy since centuries. Having read about the Beauty of the Yangtze River before, I was always eager to visit this old yet incredibly beautiful river. And when opportunity arose, I took it and the next thing I knew; I was boarding a Yangtze River cruise ship.

The Tour:

The entire tour lasted for 4 days. The tour started from Chongqing and ended in Yichang. Those 4 days were some of the best days of my life. You literally start to forget that there is a world other than the one on the ship, because when you’re on the cruise ship, you’re in an entirely different world. All the facilities from a sauna to a swimming pool were available on the ship. The food was also very good with a variety of dishes to choose from every time. The staff was well versed in English and also very helpful.

The Area:

The tour from Chongqing to Yichang covers the area of the three gorges. There are a number of tourist spots on the way. Shore excursions take place regularly so you never become bored of sitting idle on the ship.

The Scenery:

Here comes the main part. The scenery of the area can be termed as the main selling point of the Yangtze River cruise ships. The three gorges area occupies a total area of 200 km. As the cruise ship started going downstream, we approached the first gorge called the Qutang gorge. Going further, we finally reached the second gorge which is called the Wu gorge. The Wu gorge is the most famous of the three gorges. It is famous for its 12 peaks. The most famous among them is the Goddess Peak which is also the highest peak in the Wu gorge. It is the first peak in the area to welcome sunlight and the last peak to bid farewell to it. The scenery during these times is relatively beautiful and mesmerizing. Finally, on the last day, the ship passed the third gorge called the Xiling gorge. This path of this gorge used to be dangerous at one time. But ever since the three gorges dam, the water level has increased and it is now a safe to cross this path.



The “City of Ghosts”:

This is one of the main attractions on the way to Yichang. It has been a tourist attraction for decades. The city basically portrays the Chinese version of hell and tells us about the three tests a person needs to take before he can enter the netherworld. The city is filled with statues of scary demons and ghosts.

The Shibaozhai Pagoda:

The town of Shibaozhai is situated in a hill along the Yangtze River . The town is known for a beautiful Tower known as the Shibaozhai Pagoda. The tower is 12 stories high and is built on a cliff. There are stairs inside the tower which can be used to climb to the top. But since those stairs are quite dangerous, an alternate path has been erected adjacent to the tower which can also be used to go to the top of the Tower. Interesting and curious artifacts are placed on each floor of the Tower!

The Dam:



This is the tour’s grand finale. You get a change to look at the greatest and the biggest dam of the world. And trust me; the dam is a pure beauty. You get a chance to climb the viewing deck from where you can view the dam and the rest of the area. The view from that deck is absolutely amazing!

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Photos

Yangtze River
Yangtze cruise tours

Chongqing night view
Yangze river tours in Chongqing

Little three gorges
Yangtze river

Yangtze cruise ship
Yangtze river cruise tours

Three Gorges Dam
Yangtze river cruise Dam