China's hidden treasures along
the Yangtze

A river cruise bookended by China’s best-known cultural assets is surely the most relaxing way to experience the treasures of this mighty country. Margaret Turton enjoyed the magic of China.

Beijing’s buzz is palpable. Shanghai is also an exciting city but I especially love to watch Yangtze River scenes slide by as I sit on the balcony of a luxury cruise ship. And it is also nice to feel the calming effects of an ancient city’s gardens.

This journey pretty much begins in a garden. Many people have visited the ponds and pavilions of Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden since it was created by a Ming Dynasty official in 1559. Two hectares of zigzagging paths and pavilions make it possible to find a quiet, secluded spot in this city of soaring skyscrapers and a cacophony of street sounds. Shanghai has wonderful attractions but, for me, these ancient gardens are a highlight.  

On arrival at the inland city of Wuhan, gateway for our upstream river cruise, another unexpected treat is a musical performance with Tang Dynasty instruments modelled on 2000-year-old chimes and bells discovered in the tomb of a local nobleman. The originals are on display, along with more treasures from the Warring States period (474-221 BC).

Travel facts
All aboard  Modern Wuhan still moves at a slower pace than Shanghai, and we already feel relaxed as we step aboard the Viking Century Sky. She and sister ship, Viking Century Sun, cruise the Yangtze in both directions, each carrying 306 passengers and 153 crew. Both offer high levels of luxury such as large cabin windows opening onto private balconies, panoramic restaurants, observation lounges and bars, sun decks, business centres, gyms, saunas and beauty salons. Each has two elevators and a laundry service that is cheap and prompt.

We cast off, heading for Yueyang and more music – this time a brief children’s concert on a visit to an elementary school sponsored by Viking River Cruises as a token of friendship between China and its visitors.

Sailing on, we pass by harvest scenes and a multitude of bustling river craft on our way to Xiling Gorge, longest of the Yangtze’s Three Gorges. Xiling is flanked by perpendicular cliffs, caves and smaller gorges, until it is cut by the Three Gorges Dam. Here, by means of a twin five-light ship lock, we soar to 156 metres above sea level – an ascent of some 93 metres in little more than two hours. Then we float onto the man-made lake that is the Three Gorges Dam, China’s largest project since the construction of the Great Wall.

Ever since ancient times, downstream flooding has been frequent along the Yangtze. The new dam harnesses these waters for flood protection and hydro power generation but, as they rise behind the dam, the backwaters extend as far upstream as Chongqing, our disembarkation port some 620km away. Meanwhile, ever-changing vistas are presented as the stored waters slowly rise and farming communities, townships and cities are abandoned and relocated.

When we enter Wu Gorge the waters narrow, hemmed in by the mist-enshrouded mountains known as Twelve Peaks. These will remain unscathed. So, too, the towering cliffs that form Qutang Gorge which is the shortest and the narrowest of the Three Gorges, and the most dramatic.

As we explore the Three Gorges, shipboard life is leisurely. It begins with Tai Chi on the Sun Deck and ends with live music in the Observation Lounge. There are frank and informative talks on the 'New China'. Shore excursions offer close encounters with river life, including a journey by smaller vessel along a Yangtze tributary to the Lesser Three Gorges – Dragon Gate, Misty and Emerald.

We disembark at Chongqing to fly on to Xian to see the terracotta warriors – a symbolic army assembled to protect the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. Finally, we fly to Beijing to visit the Great Wall, the Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace with its gardens, pavilions and lovely lake on which we enjoy yet another gentle boat ride.

Throughout this journey local bellboys looked after our luggage for the brief internal flights, including collection from airport carousels. Hotel check-in was prepared in advance and room keys distributed en route from the airports. There was nothing to do except sit back and just enjoy it.

Margaret Turton travelled courtesy of Viking River Cruises.