Yangtze River Travel Tips - Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

For starters, the Yangtze (also, the Chang Jiang or "Long River") earns its title. It's the world's third longest river; only the Nile and Amazon are longer. It serves as a vital trade link – the only link, in fact – to several inland provinces. For almost half of its 3,964-mile run to the sea at Shanghai the river is navigable, though the ride is sometimes a harrowing experience. Over the centuries repeated floods have been devastating.

But a system of dams, including the now-famous (or to some, infamous) Three Gorges Dam, increasingly tame the Yangtze. At the dam's site, just upriver from the city of Yichang, the river level will be raised an amazing 575 feet. The dam will form, in effect, a reservoir penetrating as far inland as the city of Chongqing, some 1,500 miles from the East China Sea.

The dam, under construction since 1984, is scheduled for completion by 2009. There's some sense of urgency to travel the "untamed" Yangtze before that date, however, as some of the river's attractions will either disappear underwater, or lose some of their scenic appeal.

One out of four Chinese reside along the Yangtze or its tributaries. Millions more depend on its nourishment - its farms and now, it's electricity. In addition to the Yangtze's cities and towns, some of China's most important historic sites line the river. Here are just a few of the attractions visitors can see during a Yangtze River cruise:

Yangtze River Cities and Attractions:
The attractions along the Yangtze River are many. However, no single cruise includes all attractions as logistics, time constraints, and sometimes weather, will limit your cruise to five or six of the following:

Chongqing:
The city's roots travel back at least to the 11th century BC when it was home to the Ba people. In the third century BC the city was destroyed by one Shi Huang, who later became founder of China's first dynasty – and builder of the famous Terracotta Warriors. The city thrived over the centuries and in 1891 it became the first inland commerce port open to foreign trade. More recently, in 1987, the city was separated from the Sichuan Province when the Chongqing Municipality was formed – with a population exceeding 30 million. Chongqing is famous for its Sichuan-style cuisine – and the origination city for your Yangtze River cruise!

Fengdu:
This city of 750,000 is on the move – literally. On the north bank of the Yangtze is the "old town," most of which will soon be underwater. Across the river is the "new town" – still under construction, preparing for its transplanted residents. A mountain, well above the high-water mark of the rising river, was dedicated to the afterworld during the Tang Dynasty. Upon it was constructed a temple. Acting something akin to Hogwarts' "Sorting Hat" of Harry Potter fame, the temple at Ming Shan would receive the spirits of the deceased and assess their lives. Judging by the names of some of the temple's attractions – "Gateway to Hell," "Last Glance of Home," "Nothing to be Done Bridge," and "Ghost Torturing Pass," not all spirits traveled happy routes!

Shennong Stream:
The Shennong Stream, like the Daning River, is a tributary of the Yangtze. But whereas the Daning River is navigated by motorized sampans, the ultra-green waters of the Shennong Stream offer no such luxury. Sampans are poled and pulled through the chasms. "Trackers," with ropes slung over their shoulders, follow stream-side footpaths as they pull the sampans against the current. In many places, centuries-old "footprints" have been carved in the rock. High above, hanging from unreachable cliffs, visitors can see the Hanging Coffins, funereal remnants of the Ba people who once dwelled here.

Daning River:
The banks of the Daning River, a tributary of the Yangtze, are lined with cliffs – and wild monkeys! It's here where the "Lesser Three Gorges" – as opposed to the Yangtze's massive Three Gorges – are located. Though the scale is "lesser," many find these smaller gorges prettier, due in part to the clearer water. Their impact will be reduced once the Three Gorges Dam is complete, however. Along portions of the river, holes in the side of cliffs mark where horizontal posts were driven to accommodate wooden planking. The planking formed "roads" along the chasms to enable boats to be guided through; they also served as access to troops who patrolled the river.

Three Gorges:
Cruising through the narrow passages of Qutang, Wu and Xiling is a breathtaking experience. The Qutang Gorge is just 5 miles long – the Yangtze's shortest; some portions are a mere 300 feet across. The Wu Gorge zigzags its way between soaring cliffs; Xiling Gorge is the longest with some of the most turbulent waters – turbulence the Three Gorges Dam will soon tame.

Three Gorges Dam:
Controversy surrounds the ongoing construction of this massive project. There's well-documented proof that over the centuries rushing flood waters of the Yangtze have killed thousands in its path. The dam's construction is intended to end continuing destruction and loss of life, as well as provide enormous amounts of energy, thus reducing China's dependency on coal and oil. The downsides are many, too: the loss of hundreds of archeological sites along the river, an expected extinction of at least two fish species, a decrease in downriver silt deposits which replenish farmland, and the seldom-spoken fears of the dam's failure. For all its pros and cons, the project is enormous in scale – the single largest waterworks project ever taken on by man!

Shibaozhai:
First came the temple, erected atop the island in 1650 AD. For over 150 years the only way from the river to the temple was a climb up the cliff, aided only by a rope chain. In 1819 a "pseudo pagoda" was erected clinging to the cliff, providing a steep, interior stairway to the top. The views from the top are worth the climb! The temple includes what legend has named the "rice flowing hole." From this mysterious hole came just enough rice to meet the daily needs of the monks who inhabited the temple. But one day, a greedy monk enlarged the hole in the hopes of upping its production. But instead of more rice, the hole stopped producing altogether. Lesson learned! A dike is being constructed to save this island temple from rising Yangtze waters.

Yichang:
This 2,300 year-old city leaped into the forefront in 1877 when it was one of several "treaty ports" forced open to British merchants following China's defeat in the Second Opium War. Another leap was made in 1984 when work began on the Three Gorges Dam, 25 miles upstream from the city. Today, Yichang is known as the "Gateway to the Three Gorges Dam," as well as a primary termination or origination of Yangtze River cruises.