YANGTZE CRUISE

Saturday, 22 April. We had another early start, up at 5:45. The boat left Zigui at 6:00 and entered the Xiling Gorge 20 minutes later. This is the longest gorge (41 miles) and once was the most dangerous for boats. However, it is not nearly as spectacular as the Qutang or Wu Gorges and has long since been tamed. In spite of passing such exotically-named points as the "Gorge of the Treasured Sword and Book on the Art of War" and (better yet) the "Gorge of the Ox Liver and Horse's Lung," it got kind of boring after a while.

Entering Xiling Gorge

Narrow spot in Xiling Gorge

 We had breakfast at 7:00 and an hour later docked at Sandouping, site of the Yangtze River Dam project. A small bus took us to the dam site. On the way, we crossed a new suspension bridge, the longest in China. Now high in the air, it will be just above the water after the reservoir fills behind the dam.  We had a briefing, saw a model of the project, and saw the work in progress. 

Model of dam, locks & bridge

Darrell below viewing tower

Dam site seen from viewing tower

The project is well along and the layout of the finished dam is easily seen. The dam will be 1.3 miles long and 610 feet high. A 5-step set of locks that can handle oceangoing vessels will open in 2003. At that point the diversion channel through which the river now flows will be closed, and water will start rising behind the dam even as the last section is built. Our visit to the site was very interesting and impressive.

5-step locks under construction

Jane with dam testamonial

The dam itself under construction

We were back on the Victoria Pearl by 9:30 and underway soon after. We had the rest of the morning free, rare free time that we really appreciated. We noticed a marked change in the landscape as the steep sides of the gorges gave way to rolling hills. At noon the boat was approaching the Gezhouba Dam (1.55 miles wide, 154 feet high). Our boat entered a lock and was lowered 75 feet in a single operation. That's the deepest lock we've ever seen, and we've been through the Panama Canal.

Entering the lock - See top of doors ahead

See top of doors now - 75 feet above us

Leaving the lock - like exiting a tunnel

As we continued down the Yangtze, there was soon nothing but a completely flat flood plain as far as the eye could see in every direction. When the river floods (as it does every year in the rainy months of July and August), it must spread out for miles. At 3:15 we watched a video on the Yangtze River Dam project.

The Captain's dinner was at 7:30, an excellent meal (even if it was Chinese). As an example of how special everything was, one of the dishes, billed as cashew chicken (my favorite) had more tiny shrimp in it than either chicken or cashews. The crew put on a show in the lounge at 9:15, and there were some very talented performers among them. Nevertheless, we left at 10:00 p.m. because both of us had bad colds.