Cruising the Yangtze to the Three Gorges Dam

        Cruising the Yangtze to the Three Gorges Dam

It is only in China that one can displace 1.25 million people and build a humungously large dam in a 10 year span. Built as the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, the Three Gorges Dam has an installed capacity of 22,500 MW flooding an area of 632 sq kms. I had read about it in early 2000. Rising from the Quinghai Tibet plateau, the 6,500 km long Yangtze is truly majestic and it was a dream of mine to undertake this cruise – I would then have travelled on each of the major rivers of south Asia. I wanted see the Three Gorges Dam but that never happened due to the various viruses and floods each year. The trip got postponed indefinitely until the summer of 2013.

There are many ways to see the Yangtze and the dam. If you are coming from Beijing, it makes sense to go from Yichang. If you land in Chengdu, then you proceed from Chongqing. We were doing the cruise from Chongqing and it proved beneficial as there were only five foreigners and 55 Chinese on the outward trip to Yichang on a ship with a capacity of 180 pax.

We had chosen President 1 cruise ship, part of the Wuhan Yangtze Cruise company, after a lot of thought. We looked at issues like:

• Age of vessel and last refurbishment – important for safety and upkeep in decor. We did not want a vessel which was old and without the feel / ambience of a modern cruise ship. 
• Ship size – too large and we would be swamped with other tourists. We did not want a very large vessel. 
• Cabins and cost – we wanted a deluxe balcony cabin at the top deck with a good view. We decided on the 5th deck and on arrival, walked around choosing the right cabin – decided that mid ships was best from point of viewability and noise factor – the end had a café bar and the front was too close to the stairs.
• Upgrade cost – what did the agency or cruise line charge for upgrade to higher deck – as you go upwards, charges increase. 
• Itinerary and Miscellaneous charges – one needs to study the exact route and check whether the main tourist’s sights are covered. Often worthless shore excursions are offered. Also check whether meals, laundry etc are part of tour cost.

The cruise lines work in tandem with a travel agency. So whilst you choose the ship, you book through a travel agency as other services are also essential. This was done by looking at various agencies offering the Gorges Tour and their speed of response / details to my initial query. In fact the agency we chose also did my tour reservations for Beijing – Xi’an – Shanghai, including the train bookings. Having headed India’s largest travel agency, even if three decades ago in one of my past avatars, I was appreciative of their professionalism and customer service handling. They did a pretty good job.

We arrived at Chongqing from Chengdu. The name of the city has changed several times including Jiangzhou, Ba Shire, Chuzhou, Yuzhou and Gongzhou, kingdoms, shires, prefectures and counties. Most names involved the name Ba because Chongqing was the center of the Ba Kingdom of the Ba ethnic group and local aborigines who were conquered in the areas near the Yangtze, Wujiang and Jialing rivers. It’s a city constantly evolving.  

Everywhere one sees new skyscrapers under construction – not one, a minimum cluster of say 15 buildings coming up close together… many such clusters all over! The facts make horrific reading - China's fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin, a small town has today become one of the top industrial centres of China, the largest manufacturer of motorbikes, cars etc. We had difficulty in finding the actual quayside because we had not asked for agency help. Anyway, having arrived at the city’s Port Terminal office, we found that whilst the line had said we could board by 5.00pm, the Port Office would not let us anywhere near until the gate opened “around 6.00pm”.

We had arrived well in time and China is like India in certain respects. People take refuge behind the language barrier and especially Govt employees. So, frantic calls were made to the travel agent who called their local rep who called the shipping line and within 15 minutes a young lad came along to help us. He organized a porter and we walked the steep steps, many still incomplete, as they were constructing the new stairway to the pier, to the ship.

On board, we were the first passengers; always a good idea as you benefit in many ways: you can choose your cabin if you are unhappy with the allocation, you can make friends with the relevant staff before they get busy and most important, you get settled down whilst others are still coming in.

The VIP suite on the ship. Far better than our cabin! 

Our cabin on the fifth deck was comfortable. Two separate queen size beds, bedside tables, enough space for our strolleys. The toilet was small but functional. Every cabin had a balcony; but being higher up, we got a better view. The sun deck 6th level was the top most. Then 5th Deck or Recreation Deck; 4th Deck was Bridge Deck; 3rd deck was Promenade deck and finally the 2nd deck was Upper deck. The nomenclature was totally incorrect but it was made to sound nice for those who had the lower decks! On our level, Recreation Deck, we just had a tourist shop and massage centre. I signed up for unlimited laundry package of Y 100 for the whole trip – saved me a lot of bother. It’s all a matter of the ship wanting revenue and keeping staff and services at full stretch. (Y1=INR10; $1=Y6) We were offered the VIP suite for an extra Y1,000 but we declined as it was beyond our budget and we were not spending time in the cabin.

The ship left port at 9.00 pm – dinner was not part of the tour cost so we had ordered sandwiches. We also signed up for a drinks package for Y 200 – unlimited wine, beer or soft drinks during the cruise in the dining area. A great offer( as each bottle of beer cost Y 35. It was late at night and it was a thrill to see Chongqing go by – the whole city area was lit up beautifully. Tour boats lit from stem to stern, the bridges, the huge hoarding on a wall face and the skyscrapers made it a surreal sight.

During the night, I felt the ship stopping early morning. Looking out the first sight was of Fengdu Ghost city – a set of 20+ pontoon bridges leading from our boat to the quayside. Another led from our ship to another vessel parked in front. In fact there were four liners parked next to each other.

The Chinese have a rigid rule that unless one is part of an excursion, you can’t get off the ship. I cajoled them into allowing me to exercise on the heaving metal pathway as long as I went nowhere near the land. Whilst i walked for 30+ minutes taking the early morning air, I saw the Security officer had popped down to check on me. We had decided to miss the Fengdu Ghost town excursion as there was nothing much to see except a temple. Whilst the literature claims it’s over 2,000 years old and the best place to learn about ghost culture, we found it a bit beyond belief and especially early as we were meant to be out by 8.00am!! It’s a temple with hellish images and various torture devices… not exactly post breakfast fare! We were yet to learn that the Chinese are experts in destroying heritage, then rebuilding it elsewhere and making it look old! Many times we were entranced by the ancient beauty only to be told, as in Shibaozhai or Fengjie Town that these were all new towns / buildings built for relocated people! In Beijing, the hutongs or ‘old chawls’ are actually new structures but sold to tourists as authentic replicas of the old way of life… people live in them as if the buildings were ancient!

Here at Fengdu, we saw this wonderful sign at the dock.

 During the day we had an acupuncture demo and were shown some fascinating embroidery made by an old Chinese lady. She splits the thread eight times and then does her embroidery giving amazing weaves and shades.

Such is her skill that one piece showed a pair of leopards on one side and on the reverse were a pair of tigers! No magic, just pure artistry.

 The other work using a thread split 32 times (one can’t even imagine that!) showed a whole village scene. 

Shibaozhai excursion – A 2 hour walk across jetty, side streets of a semi deserted town and then a climb up to a unique pagoda. Original population was just 3,000 but after relocation, it’s now 10,000 with empty houses as all the young folk are in the cities working. All one saw was grandparents and grandchildren, a common sight throughout China. Earlier, the water level here was 55 m which rose to 145 m; after the dam, water rises to peak of 175 m. Each family was given a new apartment of 80 – 100 sq m by Govt in 1996. The hanging bridge, which goes up and down when walking on it, is 178 m high. Everywhere one sees very high concrete solid breakwaters / embankments as obviously the river’s fury must be enormous. The Shibaozhai pagoda was originally land based but now due to the dam, it’s become an island.

Built in 1572 in the Ming dynasty, using mulberry wood which is a very hard wood, the pagoda has 99 steps and 12 storey’s, nine of which are built directly onto cliff face of Mt Yuyin, without any nails being used. The pagoda has green tiles, red walls and upturned eaves. At each level there are drawings of various mythical deities and past rulers. The 12th top floor has its entry through a hole just large enough for a normal adult to pass through and then a splendid view of the surrounding farming countryside meets the eye. On the peak of the cliff, stands the Hall of the Heavenly Son. This pagoda is the tallest wooden ancient architecture in existence in China. It is laid out in an ingenious manner which is noticeable in its arrangement of its axis, location of the gates, stair design and appearance revealing bold design for that age.

The Captain welcomed us at his formal dinner Banquet Dance party that evening. The cruise line has young staff – all around 20 – 25 years of age and most of them spoke decent English. They were very keen to practice it on us and we enjoyed their informality and warmth. During the four monsoon months they are laid off without salary. The average pay for a trainee is Y 2000 p.m. and the crew pay commences from Y 4.000 p.m. The only middle aged staff I saw were the senior officers and Head of Security. Whilst the foreigners watched, the staff performed various minority dances / fashion show, most of the Chinese were playing mahjong, cards or karaoke! They might as well stay at home!

One of the amazing aspects of the cruise was that there was a lot of industrial activity on one side of the river bank–cement plants, coal mining, slag heaps, sand mining etc . On the opposite side, the land was pristine, natural and beautiful.

Day 3 was a long interesting day as we passed through two Gorges (Qutang and Wu) as well as went to Shen Nong Stream and White Emperor City.  Qutang Gorge– eight kms starts at Baidi city and ends at Daxi town in Wushan county. It is the shortest but better known for its steepness and overall beauty.

Two solitary peaks resemble a god made gate straddling the river which has rapid rushing water and the steep cliffs. The tourist spots are close by…. Baidi city, the rhinoceros watching the moon, the Seven Gate Cave and Bellows gorge.

Wu Gorge – 45 kms long starts from the port of Daning river in the west and ends at Guandu port. It is famed for its depth, winding gorges and fancy places like Golden Helmet and Silver Armor gorge (did they create these names for American tourists or are they translations of Chinese names, I wonder!) the most famous attraction is the 12 Peaks of Mt Wu, on both sides of the gorge. Yet again a gorge about which many poems have been written.

We came to Shen Nong Stream for our excursion – the section between Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. Frankly one was amazed at seeing such a modern city and bridge out in the wilderness. It takes its name from the main hill of Shen Nongjia mountains crowned as the “First Hill in East China”. The Stream, 60 kms long, has three sections – Mianzhu Gorge, Parrot Gorge, Longchang Cave gorge. All pax disembarked into a small launch which could take around 100 pax. This was the best scenery of the cruise – the riverbanks at times only seven metres wide in the narrowest part. Mianzhu has steep cliffs and stalactites hanging in the sky. Parrot Gorge has evergreen plants and waterfalls dropping to the stones. Year round colourful flowers abound in one area. A stream with three colours is named Three Colour Spring. It is at Longchang that one sees the hanging coffins and the ancient plank roads at a height of 150 meters. Cliff burials are a unique ancient burial practice where people placed coffins in the cliffs and steep precipices in Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, Xiling gorge and parts of the Shen nong stream. The corpse was first buried shallowly underground and then the osseous remains were collected and stored inside a coffin which was relocated onto a cliff. The first examples apparently were found by some herb pickers in Zengjia village in 1989.

Just after Mianzhu gorge, we all disembarked into row boats and teams of 3 to 4 boatmen per boat first rowed and then pulled each boat a distance of 500 metres to show how boats were used in olden times. Each team is paid Y 250 per trip by the Collective of Shen Nong Stream. As our boat was the first off, we got a unique view , truly astounding, of the clarity of the water and one saw amazing reflections of the cliff to the extent due to the stillness, it became difficult to see where the cliff ended and water began. 

Leaving Mianzhu gorge, standing at the rear of the small vessel, I saw unusual water reflections off the wash of the propellers. These occurred due to the depth of the water along the cliff edge.

Fengjie Town – relocated town for White Emperor City – Ming Liang is the main palace of this temple of the West Han dynasty. There was an administrator called Gong Sun Shu who built towns & defences in Qutang gorge. He saw a white frog become a white dragon and believing it to be a lucky sign, he called himself White Emperor and thus the town was named after him.

As usual after walking over a bridge and a long climb, along the mountain’s side which gave beautiful views of the gorge, we arrived at the top which is a temple.

Inside were exhibits of ancient kings and a detailed description in English and Chinese of The Eight Arrays – Heaven, Earth and various other animals and elements which are part of an ancient tactical strategy in battle.

There was an artist making paper scrolls by brush rubbing against a wall with a poem inscribed on it. Interesting in how he did them so fast. There is an exhibition hall here with a film of the area and showing cliff burial in detail.

Throughout this area, whenever we stopped, we saw stalls selling wood combs, head rests (pillows), foot exercisers and other items made of mulberry and other wood. Descending at Emperor City, we passed through a comb making unit, the other side being the shop selling them!

Finally the last gorge before the Dam and our last port Yichang, Xiling gorge stretches from Guandu port in Badong County to Nanjin pass in Yichang city – 126 km in total. It got its name from Xiling Mountains in Yichang. This gorge is the longest of the three gorges and runs through the cities of Badong, Zigui and Yichang. It is famous for its various gorges (sections) with different styles and zig zagging rapids and whirlpools. Apparently it has been written about by poets and writers. There are exotic names like Precious Sword Gorge and Military Manual gorge in this gorge. Under sunset, the gorges are like flickering lights and shadows and brilliant scenery on both sides. Chinese names in English are spelt in many ways, so be ready to be confused. Most scenic spots have very flowery descriptions / name which need a lot of imagination to understand the meaning. Coal and sand mining all along one side and greenery other side – one wonders how long it will take for the whole area to be industrialized!

Near Yichang, we came across a whole village which was a modern antique – see the photograph. It was now a tourist village complete with a dhow and fishing boats. The huts look old but are newly built. 

Three Gorges Dam is 27 miles upstream from Yichang. Begun in 1993, it took 17 years to complete. They have created the Three Gorges Travel zone with various sections showing off the hydroelectric project, the cultures, the scenery etc. This zone is located 263 metres above sea level.

The Tanzi Ling entrance leads to five really long escalators to reach the top and get a panoramic view of the locks, the gorges and the Dam. A vast miniature model and English speaking guide explain the details. We disembarked at Yichang – a rather disappointing port to end a wonderful experience – up a few steps and into waiting cabs and buses depending upon your end destination. We needed the airport and our cabbie drove at speeds of 140 kmph without listening to my pleas.

Though only three days, it was a trip worth undertaking especially as we saw a fast disappearing culture and village life. I had tied it up with visits to Shanghai, Xi’an and Beijing so it was really a fruitful and exhaustive trip across China. Cruising the Yangtze in style was a dream fulfilled.

Sunil 

July 2013

This article is dedicated to Nirad Pandya who, after our Provence adventure in 2011, insisted that we cruise the Yangtze whilst he was still Shanghai based. He had to share a cabin with me for three nights; I never asked if he slept well but we had a great time on the cruise, saw the Giant Pandas of Chengdu and shared many a culinary experience of which the famed Sichuan Hot Pot of Chengdu was the highlight.

Thank you, Nirad.

Article and photographs by the author.

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