Destinations of the Yangtze River
A cruise along the Yangtze river can take you to many destinations. We boarded on a Three Gorges cruise tour which provided many shore excursions that is cultural as well as educational to tourists.
A side trip to Wushan, a town that sits in between the Yangtze and Daning river serves as the starting point for the popular boat trips through the lesser gorges on the Daning river. We boarded a boat to 20 miles of emerald green waters, a sharp contrast to the muddy waters of the Yangtze. On the banks and cliffs flanking both sides of the river, we spotted mandarin ducks, monkeys and mountain goats. We entered Dragon gate Gorge with cliffs as high as 1000 meters. In here, our guide pointed out an island that will disappear within two years after the completion of the dam project. In Misty Gorge, one can see hanging coffins, a relic left by the Ba people who lived there 3,500 years ago. We boarded on a small sampan boat manned by a tribesman who will break out in song in the local dialect. Singers along the banks and situated in the cliffs serenaded us with their native instruments. These locals are hired by the Chinese government for the promotion of tourism in China.
The second highlight is a shore excursion to Fengdu, also known as the Ghost City sitting atop Mt. Minshan. The Chinese believe that this is the place where souls gather to be judged after death. It is said that the social structure of Hell is similar to earth where the spirit goes through a judicial process before the final sentence. In the end, the pure and good in spirit are rewarded while the sinful ones are punished. To get to the demon decorated temples and statues, one must climb up 300 steps. For the lazy, one can take an open air cable car which provides little comfort for those with a fear of heights.
When in Fengdu, follow the rules of the spirit world as there are many wandering spirits around the area. One must not touch door frames. Enter through the right side doors and exit through the left. Unless you want to become a priest, you must not enter the main doorway. If you trip while crossing the bridge connecting the underworld, it means you have an evil heart. If you want to be with your husband or wife in the afterlife, you must hold hands while crossing the bridge. If you can step up a certain flight of steps in one breathe, you can hold immortality in your hands. Landmarks are given names like “No way out Bridge”, “River of Blood” and “Tower of Last Glance to Home”.
Our guide led us to the final temple halls where the statue of the king demon sits. He explained that many chinese tourists are afraid of facing the king demon because of the imminent final judgment. In one corporate tour group, he recalls that while the blue collar workers went inside for pictures, almost all the managers declined and made excuses.
The shore excursions take us to small provinces and to another culture that is typical of the villages that surround the Yangtze River, a stark difference from the modernity of urban cities like Shanghai. ( email author at wandergirl28@gmail.com or visit www.theunlonelyplanet.wordpress.com )
The Unlonely Planet 
This site is still a mess. I am half tempted to bribe any kid cousin to fix this blog for me. I hate organizing! and yahoo mail attachments suck. <—- FIRST THING I NOTICED and I was laughing like insane! HAHAHA!
Glad you stopped by and you found me! Thanks for your crazy adventure! HAHAHA
reyna elena
December 22, 2007