Best of Chengdu and Yangtze River Cruise Tour

Welcome to choose this Yangtze River Cruise tour to free yourself from tedious works and enjoy your journey! Today you will arrive at the first stop of your expected tour—Chengdu. Covering 14,335 square kilometers, it has a population of 16.33 million. Enjoying the reputation of “Heavenly Land of Plenty”, it serves as the hub city for west China. Besides, it is a traditional city that has a history of more than 3,000 years. With many enchanting tourist attractions, it is one of China’s best tourist cities. After arrival, your guide will take you to the hotel downtown to check in and have a rest. Then you can enjoy your tour in the remaining days.

After breakfast in the hotel, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding will be our first destination this morning. Covering more than 600,000 square meters, it is an institution for scientific research, breeding, public education, and tourism. Here you can get close contact with pandas. There are many adult and sub-adult pandas. You can see them eating bamboos and playing on trees. Next, you can go to the Sunshine Delivery House for giant pandas to see baby pandas. It is a fabulous experience waiting to happen! The mother pandas are so docile and look like a lady. However, they will try their best to protect their babies. There are theme restaurants, cafes, and gift shops of pandas in the base. Before leaving, you can buy souvenirs featured by the panda elements in the gift shops to take “pandas” home. I believe your family members will adore this lovely creature!

After lunch, we will go to Wenshu Monastery, a famous Buddhist monastery in China. It was first constructed in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and rebuilt in 1697 of the Qing Dynasty. There are more than 300 Buddha statues in the monastery engraved from iron, stone, and wood. Besides, there are calligraphy and painting works of ancient celebrities collected in the monastery. There is a story about this monastery. The Monastery was not called Wenshu Monastery originally. In the Qing Dynasty, a monk named Cidu came here and he decided to practice Buddhism here. Later, the villagers nearby always found a brilliant nimbus showing above the monastery. The villagers believed that the monk Cidu was the reincarnation of Manjushri Buddhisattva (also called Wenshu, one of the four Buddhisattvas in China’s Buddhism). The monastery was renamed “Wenshu Monastery” to show their respect to the monk. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) also wrote inscriptions for the monastery. Today you can still see it.

Then we will go to People’s Park. Covering more than 110,000 square meters, it is the largest park in downtown Chengdu. There are hundreds of orchids in the park. Since 1949, the number of orchids has increased from ten to more than 900. Apart from flowers, it’s worth mentioning that there is an air-raid shelter in the park, which has become a summer resort for local people. There are five caves that cover 1,000 square meters with tables, televisions, water fountains, and other facilities for people. Although the temperature outside can reach 39°C (102.2°F), it is only about 26°C (78.8°F) inside the caves. It is the most popular place for people to spend hot summer days.

Jinli Street is a 550-meter-long street. It is one of the oldest streets in Sichuan Province with the richest business atmosphere. It has become famous in the Qin (221 BC-207 BC) and Han (202 BC- 220) dynasties. Covering 30,000 square meters, it is an integrated street for traveling, shopping, and amusement. Jinli Street is characterized by the cultural connotation of the Qin and Han dynasties and presented by architectural elements of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties. It also received many reputations. Jinli Street ranked first among the 21 attractive streets as the only Chinese street chosen by CNN.

Wenshu Monastery

Jinli Street

After breakfast this morning, we will go to one of the most famous attractions in Chengdu—Leshan Giant Buddha. It is located about 150 kilometers away in the south of Chengdu. It takes us two hours to get there by car. With a height of 71 meters, it is the largest stone Buddha in the world. Completed in 803 with a period of 90 years, its construction project comes to a rough story. In 713, the construction started under the leadership of a monk named Haitong to control floods. When it was constructed to the shoulder part, Haitong died unfortunately. So the construction process was suspended. Years later, a government official sponsored this project, and the apprentices of Haitong continued to build it. With the support of the government and the efforts of the people, the project made rapid progress. However, the construction project was suspended again when the official got promoted and moved away. This time the Buddha was constructed to the knee part. Forty years later, another official Wei Bo supported this project again. Finally, the project was completed with the efforts of several generations of people. Here, you will be amazed by the grandness of the giant Buddha as well as the craftsmanship of the ancient people.

After a 50-minute westward drive, we will get to Mount Emei, about 50 kilometers away from Leshan Giant Buddha. It is one of the Four Famous Buddhist Mountains in China. As the ashram of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (one of the four Bodhisattvas in China’s Buddhism) in the 3rd century, it has been regarded as a holy land of Chinese Buddhism. Mount Emei lies on the mysterious 30 degrees north latitude line that runs through the locations of Four Great Ancient Civilizations: Ancient Babylonia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, and Ancient China. After arrival, we will first visit Baoguo Temple, the first temple at Mount Emei. Facing east, the temple looks like a golden phoenix. Two stone lions are sitting on both sides of the gate to protect the temple. The plaque inscribed with the Chinese name of the temple was written by Emperor Kangxi, which means to serve the country.

After that, you will be transferred to the hotel to check in and have a good rest.

Leshan Giant Buddha

Mount Emei

Today we will set off from the hotel and start our trip to Mount Emei. Usually, we arrange the most labor-saving way to visit Mount Emei. First, we will take the sightseeing bus from Baoguo Temple Station to Leidongping Station. After that, we will walk about 1.5 kilometers to visit Jieyin Temple. At a height of 2,540 above sea level, it is a temple in the distinctive architectural style of the Qing Dynasty. Surrounded by tall pines, the temple shows a quiet scene. Out of Jieyin Temple, we will take the cableway up to the Golden Summit. With a total length of 1,168 meters, it is one of the highest and the steepest cableway in the world. Taking it, you can overlook the whole mountain surrounded by clouds. As the second highest peak of Mount Emei, the Golden Summit can be regarded as the essence of Mount Emei. It is the most famous attraction here integrating temples and scenic sites together. The most attractive one is the bluff with a height of 600 meters. Besides, the Golden Summit is the best place to appreciate the sea of clouds. If you take photos and share them on your Twitter, I believe there will be many new followers. If you are a hiking lover and would like to climb the mountain on foot, please contact us. We will arrange a special itinerary for you.

When the journey of Mount Emei ends this afternoon, you will be driven to the downtown of Chengdu. It is 180 kilometers northeast of Mount Emei. It takes us about 2.5 hours to get there by car. After arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel and then you can have a nice rest.

Golden Summit

Golden Summit

This morning, you will take the estimated flight 3U8653 08:15/09:15 to Jiuzhaigou. Your private guide will wait for you at the airport and transfer you to Huanglong National Park, 35 kilometers southeast of the airport. We will drive for about 50 minutes to get there. Reputed as the “Jade Pool on the Earth”, it is the only well-protected plateau wetland in China. It is most famous for its “four wonders”, namely colorful ponds, snow-capped mountains, deep valleys, and virgin forests. Entering the park, we will go to Wanglong Platform by taking the cable car. With an altitude of 3530 meters above sea level, it is the best place to have a panoramic view of the snow mountains here. Standing on Wanglong Platform, you will feel the grandness of the snow mountains and enjoy the wonderful views under your feet. Then we will walk to Five-Color Ponds. The Five-Color Ponds consist of 693 calcified ponds of different sizes and shapes. The water in these ponds is in different colors: dark blue in the upper part, orange in the lower part, sky blue on the left, and olive green on the right. The Five-Color Ponds look like a huge colorful palette. To our surprise, the water here will not freeze in winter despite the surrounding area is covered with ice and snow. Come to explore this legendary view. Next, we will go to Huanglong Temple. It is a large temple that has three parts: the front part, the middle part, and the back part. The front part has been ruined. The middle part has five halls that cover a construction area of 700 square meters. The back part is famous for its exquisite sculptures. It is said that it was named Huanglong (yellow dragon) Temple because a yellow dragon practiced Buddhism and became an immortal. After visiting these attractions at Mount Emei, we will walk down the mountain.

In the afternoon, we will drive to Jiuzhaigou, where Jiuzhai Valley is located. It is 144 kilometers northeast of the Huanglong National Park. It takes us more than 2 hours to drive here. After arrival, you will go to the hotel to have a rest.

Tips:

1. Some attractions here are 3,500 meters high above sea level, so you may suffer from altitude sickness. To avoid it, you would better walk slowly and don’t run. If you feel sick, you can go to an oxygen bar in the park to take oxygen therapy.

2. There is no restaurant in the park. You can take some food with you to eat in case of hunger.

Huanglong National Park

Huanglong Temple

After breakfast, we will go to Jiuzhai Valley for a visit. There are sightseeing buses from the entrance to the three valleys here and there are bus stations near the main attractions. You can take the bus to visit different attractions. Your private guide will arrange your itinerary according to your requirements. He or she will arrange a comfortable journey for you to explore the beautiful Jiuzhai Valley.

Here we recommend you the classic itinerary: Starting from the entrance, you can take a sightseeing bus to Nuo Ri Lang Waterfall; then you can go to Zachawa Valley to visit the Long Lake and Five Colored Pond; after that, you can go to Rize Valley to enjoy the Panda Lake, Five Flower Lake, Pearl Shoals, and Mirror Lake; at last, you can go back to the tourist center next to the Nuo Ri Lang Waterfall and go down Shuzheng Valley to visit the Rhinoceros Lake, Tiger Lake, Shu Zheng Falls, and Sparkling Lake. If you choose this itinerary, I believe you will visit the highlights of Jiuzhai Valley and have an unforgettable memory.

After your trip to Jiuzhai Valley, your guide will take you to the airport. Then, you will take the estimated flight CA4482 19:20/20:30 to leave for Chengdu. After arrival, your guide in Chengdu will take you to the hotel to check in.

Tips:

1. Today you’d better wear sports shoes and sportswear to make you feel comfortable during the trip.

2. You will have lunch at Nuo Ri Lang Tourist Center. The food here is limited in variety. You are recommended to take some food with you in case that the food here is not to your taste.

Jiuzhai Valley

Jiuzhai Valley

This morning you will take the estimated train G8611 10:35/11:40 to leave for Chongqing. After arrival, you will be transferred to Hongya Cave. It is 15 kilometers east of the train station and we will drive for about 30 minutes to get there. The Hongya Cave has a history of more than 2,300 years and covers 46,000 square meters. It is a comprehensive tourist attraction with building landscape and folk culture. The main building of Hongya Cave is a huge stilted building that is distinctive in China. The Hongya Cave is most famous for its folk culture. There is a large folk music square where a concert will be held at weekends. You can appreciate authentic Chongqing music here. Besides, you can also taste delicious Chongqing hotpot here.

This afternoon, you will be taken to Chaotianmen Wharf, where you will start to enjoy the Yangtze River Cruise. After a 10-minute drive by your private driver, you will arrive at Chaotianmen Wharf, which is over 2 kilometers east of Hongya Cave. During the Yangtze River Cruise, your guide will not accompany you to visit the beautiful scenery along the river. Instead, after helping you with the check-in, the guide will wait for you at the terminal of the cruise in Yichang. The cruise ship will set off at 21:00, and all the visitors should embark 30 minutes in advance.

Hongya Cave

Chaotianmen Wharf

This morning, you can enjoy a nice sleep. When you get up, you can go to enjoy a buffet breakfast on the cruise ship. There are different kinds of food, so I believe you will find the ones that you like. After breakfast, it is a good choice to do some Tai Chi exercises. Another good choice is to sit on the deck to drink a cup of coffee while reading a book.

Shibaozhai Pagoda is our first shore excursion during this Yangtze River Cruise. Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it covers a total area of 5,000 square meters. The pagoda is famous for its unusual building structure. Leaning against a huge stone, the whole building includes a gate at the bottom, a main body in the middle and a three-layer attic at the top. It was constructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and renovated in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). The Shibaozhai Pagoda originally had nine floors, and then, it was constructed into a 12-floor building. It has been recognized as “a pearl that is inlaid in the Yangtze River”, which attracts millions of people to appreciate.

After that, you could also go to Fengdu “Ghost City” (optional). Fengdu “Ghost City” is located on the north bank of the Yangtze River, facing a lush mountain in the west. It is one of the famous historical and cultural relics alongside the Yangtze River. With many buildings that are related to the netherworld, it is regarded as the capital of the “ghost country”. Visiting here, you will see many buildings existing in the Chinese netherworld. For example, you can see the Naihe Bridge, the bridge for the ghosts to pass through before reincarnation, and the Huangquan Road, the road leading the ghosts to the hell. Being full of buildings of ghost world in different times, it is the largest place loaded with culture of ghost in China. If you would like to experience the ghost culture in Fengdu “Ghost City”, you need to pay an additional fee to the shipping company. In addition, the shore excursion will be different if you choose different cruise ships. The places you will visit are up to your real booking.

About your lunch, you will enjoy a buffet lunch on the cruise ship. At night, there will be a welcome cocktail party hosted by the captain. It is a good chance to talk with other visitors on the cruise ship and meet new friends. Maybe you can share your experience and the photos you take during the cruise with each other.

Shibaozhai Pagoda

Fengdu “Ghost City”

When finishing a refreshing breakfast and Tai Chi exercise this morning, you will go to the next stop of your Yangtze River Cruise tour. Today we will sail through the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River – Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge respectively. You will admire the amazing view of the Three Gorges. In addition, you will visit the Goddess Stream at Wu Gorge. It flows through Wushan County with a total length of 15,000 meters. It is called the Guandu River in the upper reaches. When it flows downstream, it is called another name, Goddess Stream. At last, it flows into the Yangtze River. Along the Goddess Stream, the peaks on both sides are very steep, the valley is very deep, and the current of the stream is swift. When you visit the stream, you will be surprised at its grandness.

At noon, a buffet lunch will be ready for you to enjoy. In addition, don’t miss the farewell party that will be held at night. During the dinner, the staff on the cruise ship will put on a wonderful performance they prepare for you. Just go to enjoy the carnival with these lovely staff.

Wu Gorge

Goddess Stream

Today we will go to the Three Gorges Dam Site. It is the world’s largest hydroelectric plant that is used to control floods in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River on one hand and generate power for the whole country on the other hand. With a total investment of 95.46 billion yuan (more than 14.75 billion dollars), it is the largest national project since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Since July 4, 2012, it has become the largest hydroelectric power station and clean energy production base in the world. In December 2015, the Three Gorges Dam Site was also selected as one of the 30 best tourist attractions along the Yangtze River. When you see this huge project, you will definitely be astounded by its magnificence.

After that, there is another optional activity for you, that is, to board a sightseeing ferry sailing through TGP Ship’s Elevator. Completed after a six-year construction, it can help huge ships to travel across the Three Gorges Dam within tens of minutes. It sounds attractive, right? Come to experience it if you are interested.

After visiting the Three Gorges Dam Site, you will be transferred to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal. After that, your private driver together with your tour guide will drive you to the train station or the airport according to your schedule. Then you can go home with good memories during these days. Thank you for choosing us. We are also glad to accompany you on the whole tour.

Three Gorges Dam Site

TGP Ship’s Elevator

Author: Liu Jingjing

Proofreader: Vivian Zhou