Asia Travel Guide |
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 YANGTZE RIVER |
The longest river in China and the third longest in the world after the Nile and the Amazon, the Yangtze River has its source among the treeless mountains of Tanggula Ranges in Upper Qinghai. The river winds 6,300 kilometers (3,900 miles) through the country from west to east and earns the name Changjiang - simply, Long River in Chinese.
The cruise from Chongqing to Yichang includes the "Three Gorges" and is characterized by its picturesque natural scenery. In the Qutang Gorge, the river is only 100 meters wide with some 60 meters (200 feet) hydraulic gradient. In the Wu Gorge, mountains rise to a height of 500 to 1,000 meters (1,600 to 3,300 feet). In Xiling Gorge, China's largest engineering project - the Yangtze Three Gorge Dam is underway. The various ports of call along the way also offer great opportunities to experience the ancient cultural heritage. |
| Fact |
| Area Code: |
86-23 (Chongqing) |
Time Zone: |
GMT + 08:00 |
Electricity: |
220V, 50HZ |
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86-717 (Yichang) |
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| Airport: |
Chongqing Jiangbei Airport (CKG) |
Distance: |
28 km from the city center |
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Yichang Sanxia Airport (YIH) |
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26 km from the city center |
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| Fengdu |
Fengdu is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze, 176 kilometers downstream from Chongqing. Known as the "Ghost City, Fengdu is a very popular shore excursion site for tourists on the Yangtze River.
Situated on the northern bank of the river, the city was depicted as the "City of Ghosts" in two ancient, classic Chinese works - "Monkey King" and "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio". The origin of the town's extraordinary reputation can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.) when two officials, Yin and Wang, became Taoist recluses here and eventually Immortals. Later in the Tang Dynasty, their names were combined to mean "King of the Underworld".Today, the town throngs with many tourists who come to visit temples and shrines dedicated to the gods of the underworld. Landmarks here bear horrific names - Last Glance at Home Tower, Nothing-to-be-done Bridge, and Ghost Torturing Pass - the three trials for ghosts who wanted to enter the nether world. |
| Opening Hours: |
9:00am - 5:00pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 Hours |
| Sight-seeing Type: |
Shore Excursion |
Distance to City Center: |
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| Shibaozhai |
| Shibaozhai represents one of the gems of Chinese architecture along the banks of the Yangtze River. Located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, it was first built during the Qing Dynasty in 1650. As one of the most spectacular sites along the river, this 12-story 56m wooden red pavilion hugs a sheer rectangular cliff. It consists of three parts: the entrance gate, a nine-story wooden pavilion and a small temple at the top. |
| Opening Hours: |
9:00am - 5:00pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 Hours |
| Sight-seeing Type: |
Shore Excursion |
Distance to City Center: |
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| Wan Zhou |
Wan Zhou (previously known as Wanxian) is a small mountainous city known the gate way to East Sichan. It is located 350 kilometers down stream from Chongqing and spreads out on both sides of the river.
A shore excursion to the local bazaar is often offered by the cruise lines. The city has ten free markets, which sell local produce and seasonal delicacies such as mountain mushrooms or live eels. Second Street (Er Malu) is the main shopping thorough fare. Shengli Lu is a famous night market where Wanxian rattan and cane are sold. Handmade summer bed mats, fans, hats, straw shoes, furniture and baskets are traded roadside every night. It is a best place for you to polish your bargaining skills. You can try some local snacks, such as spicy noodles and cooling soybean jelly and fresh fruit. |
| Opening Hours: |
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Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 Hours |
| Sight-seeing Type: |
Shore Excursion |
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| Qutang Gorge |
| Qutang Gorge, the first of the three gorges of the Yangtze River, is famous for its sheer and spectacular precipices. When you visit Qutang Gorge, you will find uniquely beautiful natural formations greeting you from every direction. In this section, the Yangtze River carves its way through the gorge between the sheer precipices that frame both sides of the river. Qutang's widest point is more than 150 meters (500 feet) and its narrowest point is about tens of meters. Two mountains, the Red Passage Mountain (Chijia Shan) to the north and the White Salt Mountain (Baiyan Shan) to the south, form the Kui Men entrance (Kui Gate). The steep precipices form a giant door where the tumultuous Yangtse bursts through in an exciting rush of rolling and roaring water. |
| Opening Hours: |
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Recommended Time for a Visit: |
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| Sight-seeing Type: |
Sail Through |
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| Wu Gorge |
| Wu Gorge is the most beautiful section of the Yangtze River, flanked by high peaks that are often capped by fog or clouds. The steep slopes of the gorge are green with trees and bushes. The gorge was long known to be as dangerous as it is beautiful. It was a dangerous place for boat navigators, who faced dangers including whirlpools, quicksand, and currents that varied from hour to hour. As the river cuts its way through the Wushan mountains, its roaring currents change their directions constantly. This middle gorge is best known for twelve unique peaks. Often hidden in swirls of mist, six line the north side of the river and six staggared peaks stand to the south. The most famous, Shennu Feng (Goddess Peak), resembles a kneeling maiden. |
| Opening Hours: |
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Recommended Time for a Visit: |
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| Sight-seeing Type: |
Sail Through |
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| Three Little Gorges |
| The Three Little Gorges, a famous scenic spot in the Wuxia Gorge, is well worth a side trip when your cruise ship gets to Wushan, between Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. This side trip up the Daning Rive r will take you through much narrower gorges and will give you the opportunity to examine rock formations and other scenic features up close. The 50 kilometers long stretch from Dragon Gate Gorge in the south to Tujiaba in the north is particularly narrow and picturesque. |
| Opening Hours: |
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Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 Hours |
| Sight-seeing Type: |
Shore Excursion |
Distance to City Center: |
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| Shennong Stream |
| Shennong Stream, a tributary of the Yangtze River, rises in the southern part of the Shennongjia Natural Reserve. It joins the Yangtze at Xirangkou in Hubei's Badong County. With crystal clear water, this steam flows swiftly from north to south through deep gorges. A sampan tour will allow you to experience a high speed adventure along this newly opened unspoiled river. An arrow-like sampan glides through the four-kilometer-long Mianzhu Gorge and then enters the main stream of the Shennong. The boat glides over the cobble-strewn riverbed with its bottom often banging against the stones. It is not without risk yet exhilarating. It is thrilling to experience this battle with nature. |
| Opening Hours: |
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Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 Hours |
| Sight-seeing Type: |
Shore Excursion |
Distance to City Center: |
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| Xiling Gorge |
| The final gorge, Xiling Xia (Xiling Gorge), is the longest (41 miles) and the deepest - its cliff walls rise to 4,000 feet. It is actually comprised of seven smaller gorges, whose varied names - Military Books and Precious Sword, Rice Granary, Ox Liver and Horse Lungs, Yellow Ox, Bright Moon, Lantern Shadow, and Yellow Cat- are all based upon ancient legends. |
| Opening Hours: |
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Recommended Time for a Visit: |
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| Sight-seeing Type: |
Sail Through |
Distance to City Center: |
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| Three Gorges Dam |
Three Gorges Dam is the largest water conservancy project ever undertaken by man. The Dam is now being built in Sandouping, which is in the middle of the Xiling Gorge, the longest of the three gorges on the Yantze River.
The Three Gorges Dam will be 2,335 meters long, 185 meters high, 18 meters wide on the top and 130 meters wide at the bottom. The dam will raise the river to a level of 175 meters above sea level, creating a 600 kilometers long reservoir with storage capacity of 39.9 billion cubic meters extending from the dam site all the way to Chongqing. 570,000 acres of farmland, villages in 19 counties and cities will be flooded, causing 1.5 million people to be relocated. The estimate for construction of the project is 70 billion US dollars. The building of this huge dam is for the purpose of flood control, electricity, navigation, and irrigation.
The construction of the dam formally began in 1994. The body of the dam was completed in 2003, and the whole construction will be competed in 2009. |
| Opening Hours: |
Whole Day |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
0 KM |
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