Scenic
Spots by Route Chongqing
to Wanxian
The cruise starts at
Chongqing, the biggest
city in Southwest China
and key port of
departure and
destination for Yangtze
River cruises. For the
first few hours the
river is lined with
factories, but this
gives way to some
pretty, green terraced
countryside with the
occasional small town.
One of the first stops
is usually the town of
Fengdu. Nearby
Pingdushan is said to be
the abode of devils.
Here the famous ‘ghost
City’ is deserved to
visit. Numerous temples
containing sculptures of
demons and devils have
been built on the
mountain since the Tang
dynasty, with heartening
names like ‘Between the
Living and the Dead’,
‘Bridge of Helplessness’
and ‘Palace of the King
of Hell’. Travelers have
given mixed reviews to
this little ‘Hell World’
exhibit.
The boat then passes
through Zhongxian
County. North-east of
the county seat of
Zhongzhou is the Oian
Jinggou site, where
primitive stone
artefacts, including
axes, hoes and stone
weights attached to
fishing nets, were
unearthed.
Soon after comes the
Shibaozhai (Stone
Treasure Stronghold) on
the northern bank of the
river. Shibaozhai is a
30m-high rock, which is
supposed to look
something like a stone
seal.
Next is the large town
of Wanxian, where most
morning boats tie up for
the night. It’s a neat,
hilly town and a great
place to wander around
for a few hours while
the boat is in port.
Wanxian to Yichang
Boats overnighting at
Wanxian generally depart
before dawn. Before
entering the gorges the
boat passes by (and may
stop at) the town of
Fengjie (Yong’an). This
ancient town was the
capital of the state of
Kui during the Spring
and Autumn and Warring
States periods from 722
to 221 BC. The town
overlooks the Qutang
Gorge, the first of the
three Yangtze gorges.
Just east of Fengjie is
a 1 km long shoal where
the remains of stone
piles could be seen when
the water level was low.
These piles were erected
in the Stone and Bronze
ages, possibly for
commemorative and
sacrificial purposes,
but their remains were
removed in 1964 since
they were considered a
danger to navigation. At
the entrance to the
Outang Gorge, Baidicheng,
or White King Town, is
on the river’s northern
bank.
The spectacular Sanxia
(Three Gorges), Outang,
Wu and Xiling, start
just after Fengjie and
end near Yichang, a
stretch of about 200 km.
The gorges vary from
300m at their widest to
less that 100m at their
narrowest. The seasonal
difference in water
level can be as much as
50m.
In between the Qutang
and Wu gorges, most
boats will stop for five
to six hours so
passengers can shift to
smaller boats for tours
of the Lesser Three
Gorges. Flanking the
Daning River, these
gorges are much narrower
than their larger
counterparts and, some
travellers say, more
dramatic. You have the
chance to get out and
view the rock formations
up close.
Xiling Gorge is the
longest of the three
gorges at 80km. At the
end of the gorge
everyone crowds out onto
the deck to watch the
boat pass through the
locks of the huge
Gezhouba Dam.
The next stop is the
industrial town of
Yichang, which is
regarded as the gateway
to the upper Yangtze and
was once a walled city
dating back at least as
far as the Sui dynasty.
Near the Yichang railway
station you can take bus
No.10 to White Norse
Cave (baima dong), where
for a fee you can boat
and walk through taverns
with impressive
stalactites and
stalagmites. Five
minutes’ walk from the
other end is an equally
impressive place - Three
Visitors Cave (sanyou
dong), along with a
cliff trail that
overlooks the Yangtze
River.
Yichang to Wuhan
After leaving Yichang,
the next major town is
Shashi, a
light-industrial town.
After Shashi there’s not
much to look at: you’re
out on the flat plains
of central China, the
river widens immensely
and you can see little
of the shore. The boat
continues down the river
to pass by (and possibly
stop at) the town of
Chenglingji, which lies
at the confluence of
Dongting Lake and the
Yangtze River.
East of Dongting Lake is
the town of Yueyang.
Another nine hours will
bring you to Wuhan, at
which point most
travellers are quite
ready to part ways with
their boat. |