Yangtze River Cruise from Xi’an

Upon arrival, the local tour guide will pick you up, and then escort you to the hotel. We believe that you can’t wait to start this journey, but please have a good rest for the coming journey.

After breakfast, the tour guide will take you to the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, which is also the first attraction of your whole trip. It is located about 40 kilometers northeast of Xi’an city, and it will take about 1 hour to drive there. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum is the subordinate tomb of Ying Zheng, the founder of the Great Qin Empire (221BC -207BC), also known as Qin Shi Huang. The total area of this museum is about 20,780 square meters, including three pits. Among the three pits, the largest and most famous one is Pit No.1, where there are more than 6,000 terra cotta warriors and horses, all of which are of the same size as real people and horses. And except for the size, the more amazing thing is that all terra cotta warriors have different expressions, hairstyles, and clothing, because they are all made according to real people from various places. So only if you see them with your own eyes will you know the wisdom of the ancient Chinese people.

After lunch, we will take you to visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is 64.7 meters high with seven floors. And it is a pavilion-like pagoda with a brick-wood structure. You may wonder why it is called “Big Wild Goose Pagoda”. Or is there any connection between this pagoda and big wild goose? It is said that, there was a famous pagoda, called Big Wild Goose Pagoda in ancient India. There used to be numerous big wild gooses circling around the pagoda. This pagoda had been safe during hundreds of years even though it had been attacked by many serious earthquakes. So these big wild gooses were believed to be the sacred wild gooses sent by Buddha to protect this pagoda. When Chinese monk, Xuanzang, went to ancient India to learn Buddhadharma, he had stayed at this temple and saw these sacred wild gooses. After he returned to China, he advocated building a pagoda to store the Buddhist statues and scriptures brought back from ancient India. He submitted his proposition to the emperor and the emperor agreed. After this pagoda was built, Xuanzang was designated to name this pagoda. Thinking of the Indian pagoda he had stayed at, he decided to name this pagoda “Big Wild Goose Pagoda”. He hoped that this pagoda could be as stable as the Indian pagoda.

Then you will go to the Xi’an Old City Wall for a visit, which is the best-preserved ancient city wall in China. Xi’an Old City Wall is 12 meters high. The top width is 12-14 meters and the bottom width is 15-18 meters. The whole city wall is a closed rectangle with a circumference of 13.74 kilometers. Standing on the city wall, you can see various ancient buildings no higher than the city wall in the old city area surrounded by the wall. And there are no skyscrapers inside the city wall. However, when you look at the area outside the city wall, you will see many modern-style buildings. The two different scenes will make you feel the collision between modernity and history, which is very interesting.

Free Time Suggestion:

In your free time, we strongly recommend that you should visit Great Tang All Day Mall and watch the musical fountain show in the North Square. Great Tang All Day Mall consists of Tang Dynasty-style buildings built on the foundation of Tang Dynasty culture. So, if you are interested in the culture of the Tang Dynasty, you can go there and have a look. The North Square is 218 meters wide from east to west and 346 meters long from north to south. You can imagine how spectacular its musical fountain show will be. Here are the show times for your reference: 12:00 - 12:10;16:00 - 16:10; 19:00 - 19:10; 21:00 - 21:10.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

This morning, after breakfast, your guide will take you to the Great Mosque, one of the four major mosques in China. And it is praised as the crystallization of the combination of Islamic culture and Chinese culture. The reason why it gets such a praise is that its buildings are of Chinese palace style, however, its decorations are strictly in accordance with the Islamic style. After visiting Great Mosque, you will take the estimated flight 3U3271 14:35/16:05 to Zhangjiajie. After arriving at Zhangjiajie, your local tour guide will pick you up, and escort you to the hotel.

Great Mosque

Great Mosque

After breakfast, you will first go to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park for a visit. This park covers an area of 4,810 hectares. There are more than 3,000 peaks in this park and they are of various shapes. Moreover, this park is a perfect place to escape the heatwave in summer. As the maximum average temperature in summer here is 16.8℃, and the air is fresh. When you come here, you cannot miss the Golden Whip Stream. This stream is so clear that you can even see the bottom. Besides, you will also see various fish and different-colored pebbles in the stream. Take a deep breath of the fresh air and enjoy this charming forest park.

In the afternoon, we will go to visit Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. We will take the Bailong Elevator, the fastest and highest outer sightseeing elevator with the largest carrying capacity to the top. It will take you only 66 seconds to get to the top. Then we will visit the First Bridge of the World, one of the top ten attractions in Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. This bridge is 2 meters wide and 5 meters thick. It connects two mountains with a span of over 20 meters, at an elevation of 350 meters. Looking down from the bridge, you will have a breathtaking scenery.

Afterward, we will go to Hallelujah Mountain, where Avatar was filmed. Then we will take the environmentally-friendly vehicle from the parking lot of the Natural Stone Bridge to Tianzi Mountain. Follow your guide to visit Helong Park and Yubi Peak. When you arrive at Helong Park, you can feel the solemn atmosphere of this park, which was built to commemorate General He Long. When you go to Yubi Peak, you will be surprised by its pen-shaped appearance. After that, we will take the cable car down the mountain. Then the tour guide will transfer you to the hotel.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Yuanjiajie Scenic Area

After breakfast, we will visit Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Walking into the canyon, you will see many springs and waterfalls. Besides, you will find that you are surrounded by lush plants. Walking further into the canyon, you will find a stream passing through the canyon. In this area, you cannot miss the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. It is 536 meters long and 6 meters wide. As a large suspension glass bridge, it is famous at home and abroad for keeping several world records. Walking on this bridge, you will see the deep canyon under your feet, as if you are floating in the air. This is also the moment to test your courage. Besides, the glass is made of high-strength aerospace composite materials, which can guarantee your safety.

After lunch, we will go to Baofeng Lake for a visit. Baofeng Lake Scenic Area covers about 2.7 square kilometers and is famous for its lake scenery and mountain scenery. Here, you will see waterfalls, grotesque peaks, temples, etc. In addition to the natural scenery, you may hear beautiful folk songs in this area. Local young men and women would like to express their affection by singing folk songs. After visiting Baofeng Lake, you will return to the hotel.

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge

Baofeng Lake

After breakfast, we will help you check out. Then we will drive you to Yichang, which is about 380 kilometers northeast of Zhangjiajie. It will take you about 5 hours to get there. You can have a rest on the way. Upon arrival, we will take you to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal to take the shuttle bus to Maoping for cruise. Then your Yangtze River Cruise will officially begin. In the next few days, you will fully enjoy the beauty of the Yangtze River and the scenery on both sides.

Today is your first day on the ship. Around 6:30-7:00, early bird tea and coffee will be served. If you are a Tai Chi enthusiast, or you want to try Tai Chi, you can join the Tai Chi morning exercise on the deck. Then have breakfast and immerse yourself in admiring the charming scenery.

In the afternoon, you will have a shore excursion to visit Three Gorges Dam Site, the largest hydropower project in the world. The Three Gorges Dam is about 3,335 meters long, and 185 meters high. Moreover, its total water storage capacity is 39.3 billion cubic meters and it plays great role in flood control. Only when you see it with your own eyes, can you feel its magnificence.

In the evening, you can attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception. At the reception, the captain will make a speech and welcome everyone. It is a good chance to make new friends. Then, you can have a buffet dinner on the ship. After dinner, you can return to your room and have a good rest.

The Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam

Early bird tea and coffee will be served. Like yesterday, you can also choose to participate in the Tai Chi morning exercise. Then you will take a small boat to visit Shennong Stream. With a total length of 60 kilometers, it is a typical stream flowing through the gorge. On the both sides of this stream, there are towering peaks, grotesque rocks and mysterious caves. Immerse yourself in the charming scenery of this stream. Afterward, you will return to your cruise ship and have a buffet lunch.

In the afternoon, you will continue your cruise tour on the Yangtze River. First, the ship will pass through Wu Gorge, one gorge of the famous Three Gorges(Wu Gorge, Qutang Gorge, Xiling Gorge) of Yangtze River. The total length of Wu Gorge is 46 kilometers. The various winding rivers and strange-shaped peaks on both sides of the Wu Gorge are the most prominent features of it. In addition, the Twelve Peaks in this area is a must-visit attraction. There are 6 peaks on the north and south sides of the Wu Gorge respectively. Among them, the Goddess Peak in the north side is quite famous for its legend. In the Xia Dynasty (2070BC-1600BC), Yao Ji, one daughter of Queen Mother of the West (the Taoist supreme goddess lived in heaven) lived in Yaochi Palace(a palace in heaven). Because life in the Yaochi Palace was boring, Yao Ji wen to the human world to travel around with her eleven sisters. When they came to Wushan Mountain(next to Wu gorge), they got to know that Xia Yu (the first emperor of the Xia Dynasty) had fought against the flood for three months but still got no success in bringing the flood under control. They were all touched by Xia Yu’s determination to control the flood, so they decided to help him control the flood. After seven days’ efforts, they successfully controlled the flood and then returned to the heaven. To commemorate the twelve goddesses’ contribution to this area, people named the twelve peaks on both sides of the Wu Gorge “Goddess Peak”.

Then the cruise ship will pass through the Qutang Gorge. This gorge is the shortest one of the Three Gorges. The peaks on both sides of it are very steep, and the river in this section is quite famous for its turbulence. In addition, at the west entrance of Qutang Gorge, there are various cliffs located on both sides of the gorge, with hundreds of meters high and almost a hundred meters wide. This entrance is called “Kui Gate”, which is also the image printed on the back of Chinese ten-yuan banknote. If you have a ten-yuan banknote, you can compare it with the scenery here.

Moreover, there will be an additional shore excursion to White Emperor City this afternoon. White Emperor City, with multiple gates, used to be a military defense building in the past. This city is divided into different parts and it is of a typical city-in-city structure. Legend has it that the city was first named after “White Emperor City” in the late Western Han Dynasty (202BC -8AD). At that time, there was a general named Gongsun Shu, who occupied a region, where the current White Emperor City is located. One day he discovered a well in this region, and suddenly a wisp of white smoke came out from the well. The shape of the smoke was like a white dragon, flying upward into the sky (In ancient China, the dragon had the meaning of being an emperor). Later, he told his subordinates that, “This is a sign for him to be the emperor”. Not soon, he claimed himself as the emperor and established his empire here. Since then, this city has been called White Emperor City.

Three Gorges

White Emperor City

Early bird tea and coffee will be served. Feel free to do the Tai Chi morning exercise. Next, you can arrange this half day according to your preference. Maybe you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the river on the ship, or you can have a good rest in your room. Then you will have a buffet lunch.

In the afternoon, you will have a shore excursion to Fengdu Jade Emperor Scenic Area. Before visiting this attraction, you should know that the Jade Emperor is the supreme god in ancient Chinese mythology. So this place is related to the Jade Emperor. It is famous for the huge statue of Jade Emperor’s head. And there are many halls in this area. We suggest visiting the Jade Emperor Hall. This Hall is mainly for worshiping the Jade Emperor. In Taoism, the Jade Emperor is the most powerful god. He manages the prosperity and decline of all things in the universe, including good and bad luck. So, the whole hall has a solemn atmosphere.

After visiting Fengdu Jade Emperor Scenic Area, there will also be an additional shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City. Although the name of this attraction is a little daunting, the essential meaning of it is “punishing evil and praising good deeds”. At the same time, it also reflects the Chinese concept about gods and ghosts as well as heaven and hell. You will see many statues and buildings related to hell in Chinese mythology. Among all attractions here, the Naihe Bridge is quite famous. According to folklore, the soul of a person has to cross the Naihe Bridge(means a bridge above the river of suffering) after death. The good souls will be escorted to cross the bridge, while the evil souls will be thrown into the river of suffering. So, after hearing such a exciting story, don’t you want to see it in person?

In the evening, you can attend the Captain’s Farewell Banquet. Tonight is your last night on the ship, there will be excellent performances and delicious food in this party. We hope that you have a good time and enjoy the party.

Fengdu Jade Emperor

Fengdu Ghost City

After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up at the wharf. Then we will drive you to Chongqing Airport. It’s time to say goodbye. We wish you a safe journey and look forward to our next meeting!

Author: Yufan Zhang

Proofreader: Yan Liu