The Yangtze is the third longest river in the world, at almost 4,000 miles. A pecking order of the Amazon and Nile ahead of it. Commencing in the mountains of Tibet and flowing out to sea at Shanghai, it passes through some of China’s most spectacular scenery, some of which has been lost due to the Three Gorges Dam.
The concrete and steel dam is 7,661 feet long, almost 600 feet high and used about 510,000 tons of steel – enough to build the Eiffel Tower sixty times. They say the structure is visible from the moon and similarly you could say so is the hole in the ground where the WA iron ore came from for this project.
The power generated by the 34 generators is enormous, providing more than 10% of China’s enormous appetite for power.
Isabel and Wendy admire floral arrangement on Century Sun.
This is a spectacular working river, busy at every time of day and at night. When we boarded the vessel at night, water was flowing downstream at about 10 knots. One misstep embarking and you’d be swept away like a leaf on a swift stream. (Wendy’s minor misstep nearly had her bag arrive at the dam wall several days ahead of her)
The very fine scenery is reminiscent of NZ’s Milford Sound or the Norwegian fiords. Being elevated above sea level the Yangtze is cloaked in a Harry Potter misty cloud. Our cruise ship is not exactly Princess, but is comfortable–when the air conditioning is not switched off!!
Entering the first of the 3 gorges on the mighty Yangtze River
More gorgeous gorges
Without exception, the staff are gentle courteous, ever smiling and obliging, while the management are sticklers for the company rules and shepherding the sheep (passengers) via oft- repeated PA announcements to the cabins. Although Achtung! is softened and replaced with “ladies and gentlemen” the “vee vill ask the questions” is constantly reinforced.
Plenty of grub at the buffet. Nice food too! But one must assume the best cuts of meat go to the Great Hall of the People in a Beijing, with the bony ‘fag-ends’ the favoured preserve of tour boat operators.
On our approach to the first let down of the evening; lock No 1
Navigating the Three Gorges Dam is truly the capstone of these three nights on the river. Sunday night at 9.30pm we entered the first of 5 locks, dropping us 22 metres each time (110m) to the lower river level. What excitement, sharing the lock with a couple of other similar sized vessels.
Our journey ended at what appeared to be a river village, Yichang, which turned out to be a small city of 1.8million. Like everything in China is humongous, filled with thousands of 30 storey apartment buildings. We flew from Yichang to Shanghai, arriving at the Bund Hotel about 6o’clock.
A quick dinner up the street and Isabel and I walked on down to the famous Bund. A very pleasant wide boardwalk on the river with neon illuminated tourist boats plying their trade.
Today we travelled to Shanghai’s answer to Venice, a quaint 600 year old village, Zhujiajiao old town with its canal waterway streets. This afternoon after lunch all but me are doing the Pearl TV tower and silk factory while moi does the blog and grab some shut-eye before the Shanghai Circus tonight at 7.30
Confucius say… who wants to kill a circus troupe, should go for the juggler
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