Yangtze River Cruise Tour with Shanghai

Upon your arrival in Chongqing, you will be welcomed at the airport terminal by our tour guide. Then, our guide will drive you to the hotel in Chongqing. Let’s start our China tours with the Yangtze River Cruise!

This morning, we will first visit the Chongqing Zoo and its Panda Room after breakfast. Occupying an area of 43.5 hectares, the Chongqing Zoo welcomes nearly 3.6 million tourists here and abroad every year. As a large urban zoo, it is endowed with multiple functions such as the promotion of popular science, animal protection, scientific research, leisure and entertainment. According to the classification of animals, 8 areas with corresponding functions are formed in the Chongqing Zoo, including bird area, central leisure area, primate area, raptor area, and so on. In addition, we will visit the Panda Room in the southeast of the Chongqing Zoo. This Panda Room is one of the earliest breeding bases for giant pandas and red pandas in China. By March 2020, the number of giant pandas here had reached 18, ranking first among zoos all over China. Say hello to the cute giant pandas here!

Then, we will come to see Eling Park. This park is 4.3 kilometers away from the center of Chongqing. As a model of garden art, it skillfully combines artificial scenery with natural beauty, forming a unique landscape. Besides, the Goose Neck Park is a good platform for visitors to have a panoramic view of Chongqing because its location is as high as 402 meters. The major attractions of the Goose Neck Park include the Kansheng Building, the Moon Palace Restaurant, the Eling Monument, and so on. The Kansheng Building, for example, is located at the northeast end of the Goose Neck Park. It is about 41 meters high and 380 meters above sea level with seven stories.

After lunch, we will arrive at the Ciqikou Ancient Town. This ancient town used to be a very prosperous and lively port. According to historical records, it became a commercial port at the intersection of waterways in the Ming Dynasty (1386-1644). At that time, a large number of ships, large or small, carrying clothes, porcelain, silk, sugar, kerosene, and other goods arrived here every day. Now, it changes into a popular tourist attraction. What’s more, there are many folk artists in the Ciqikou Ancient Town. Here, you can not only enjoy a lot of works of calligraphy, painting, and ceramic but also see the performances of many craftsmen, such as sugar figure drawing, fried dough twists making, and glutinous rice cakes hitting. In a word, the Ciqikou Ancient Town records both its past and present prosperous times.

Later, we will go to Chaotianmen Port to take the Yangtze River Cruise, which will set sail in the evening. You will also spend the night on the cruise during this Yangtze River tour.

Chongqing Zoo

Eling Park

Before the breakfast buffet, you can practice Tai Chi on the Yangtze River Cruise. It is a fitness sport and ancient Chinese boxing suitable for all ages. This sport requires people who practice it to use their abdomen to breathe, thus increasing the depth of breathing. This will help to improve respiratory function and blood circulation. In addition, through this easy and gentle exercise, your physical and mental health will be enhanced. You can follow the Tai Chi master on the cruise to practice and learn more about this fitness sport.

After that, the Yangtze River Cruise will take you to enjoy the charming scenery on both sides of the Yangtze River, where there are steep and continuous peaks and mountains. Those peaks are generally about 700 to 800 meters high above the water. Besides, the ever-flowing Yangtze River is like a beautiful silk ribbon, winding into the distance. This Yangtze River Cruise tour will surely endow you with the fantastic mountains and rivers of China.

After lunch, we will take a shore excursion to the Shibaozhai Pagoda. This pagoda is built on the huge rocks leaning against the steep and isolated peaks. It has 12 floors, with a total height of 56 meters. Looking at this pagoda from a distance, you will find that its overhanging eaves built with spreading wings are very vivid. Moreover, there are also three groups of sculptures depicting different historical stories in the Shibaozhai Pagoda. One of them is the story of the general Ba of Ba State (1122-316 BC). It was said that when Ba State declined, some feudal nobles launched an armed rebellion and intend to seize the regime of Ba State. General Ba stationed on the eastern border of Ba State decided to go back and pacify the rebellion. However, he did not have sufficient troops to defeat the armed forces of the feudal nobles. He hurried to the neighboring state of Chu (?-223 BC) in the east to borrow troops. The king of Chu said that the premise of borrowing troops was to send general BA’s son as a hostage, and general Ba should cede three cities he stationed to Chu. General Ba said: “There is no time bring my son before I could end the rebellion. If I don’t keep my word, I’ll give my life to you!” The agreement was thus reached. With the help of the Chu troops, general Ba soon pacified the rebellion of the feudal nobles and restored domestic order. You can come to the Shibaozhai Pagoda to learn more about this story.

In the evening, we can go to the Captain’s Welcome Party held at the bar on the fifth floor of the cruise. Under the introduction of the host, the captain will welcome and toast all the tourists on behalf of the cruise. In addition to the food carefully prepared by the staff, everyone can choose champagne, beer, fruit juice, and snacks. You can also enjoy the crew’s performance and evening entertainment. The crew’s performance, for example, usually includes different kinds of dance performances. You can feel the warm and grand scene while sipping a glass of champagne.

Shibaozhai Pagoda

Shibaozhai Pagoda

After today’s breakfast, we will sail through Qutang Gorge between 11 and 12 o’clock. With a length of 8 kilometers, the Qutang Gorge is the shortest as well as magnificent and steep in the Three Gorges. As the head of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, Qutang Gorge is blessed with straight mountains that resemble a naturally-made gate. When sailing through this magnificent gorge, you will find many places of historic interest. For example, Baidi City is on the north bank of the Yangtze River at the mouth of Qutang Gorge. It is also like an extended island and as beautiful as Qutang Gorge. In addition, Baidi City boasts a lot of cultural relics, including unearthed cultural relics since the Neolithic age and paintings of ancient Chinese masters. Those cultural relics prove the profound history of Baidi City and Qutang Gorge.

Next, we will sail through Wu Gorge around noon. As the most coherent and orderly gorge of the Three Gorges, Wu Gorge is famous for its beauty of deep and serene. It is also the most impressive section of the Three Gorges, just like a winding corridor. For years, Wu Gorge has been held in the arms of the cloud and drizzle, which forms a wonderful natural landscape. Furthermore, when you come here by the Yangtze River Cruise, you will easily notice the Jixian Peak on the north bank of Wu Gorge. The unique feature of the Jixian peak lies in its towering height of 840 meters. You can also see that the top of this peak is naturally forked, just like a pair of scissors.

Later, we will change to a boat at the pier and take a shore excursion to Shennü Stream at the west mouth of Wu Gorge. With a length of 15 kilometers, it is also called the Beauty Stream by the local people. The beauty of Shennü Stream consists in its smooth and lucid water, which is also the soul of the natural landscape here. A long time ago, the water of Shennü Stream was very turbulent, because there were often floods in its upper reaches. Da Yu, a man of wisdom, came here one day. Actually, he had been investigating how to address the issue of floods. He realized the key to containing the floods is to dredge the river. He then widened the mouth of Wu Gorge, making the river wider. As a result, the floods in the upper reaches soon subsided. This is the reason why Shennü Stream has become relatively stable today.

Then, we will sail through Xiling Gorge toward evening. Xiling Gorge is the longest gorge in the Three Gorges, with a total length of 76 kilometers. At the same time, it boasts a long history and civilization, because it has been proved that human beings lived here as early as 800,000 years ago according to archaeological excavations. Historically, Xiling Gorge was well-known for its numerous shoals and rapids, and tortuous waterway. Now, with the project of Three Gorges Dam, Xiling Gorge presents scenery of the flat and wide river. It is indeed pleasant to appreciate the clam river of Xiling Gorge on the cruise.

In the evening, you can enjoy the Captain’s Farewell Dinner of the Yangtze River Cruise. Compared with the usual dinner, this farewell dinner has richer dishes for all guests. It is held in the luxury and grand restaurant of the cruise. Before this dinner really starts, all the guests will take their seats quietly. Then, the employees of the restaurant will come out with the cheerful music and greet the guests by dancing. This dinner normally includes an appetizer, a soup, and about two main courses. For example, the appetizer is fried pork chop with mango. This will be an unforgettable dining experience before you say goodbye to the Yangtze River Cruise.

Qutang Gorge

Wu Gorge

After breakfast on the cruise, we will take a Shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam. It is one of the largest projects in China’s history. Spanning 3,335 meters, this project takes 18 years to complete, with a total investment of about 135 billion yuan. The dam is mainly built of concrete or grouted rubble, with a crest of 3035 meters. Here, you can also see the largest hydropower station in the world. The power generated by the Three Gorges hydropower station can be used by more than a dozen cities with a population of more than one million. In other words, 14% of the total hydropower generation in China is provided by the Three Gorges hydropower station. You can follow our tour guide to learn more about this grand project during our top Yangtze cruise tour.

Optional experience of the Ship Lift: the Ship Lift is the fastest way to pass through the Three Gorges Dam. Designed to smooth the shipping of the Yangtze River, it can lift ships of 3000 tons, such as large passenger liners, cruises, and cargo ships. After the Ship Lift operated in 2016, the crossing time of such ships is reduced from 3.5 hours to about 40 minutes. Now, it only takes about 8 minutes to climb vertically over 100 meters by the Ship Life. If you are interested, you can pay for this optional experience.

After the shore excursion, you will be transferred to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal for departure. Our tour guide will pick you up at the cruise terminal and take you to the urban district of Chongqing by driving. Then, when you finish your lunch, our tour guide will bring you to the Yichang East Railway Station where you can take the estimated train D954 14:06/20:21 to Shanghai. Upon your arrival in Shanghai, you will be welcomed at the railway station and check in the hotel in Shanghai urban area with the help of our tour guide.

Three Gorges Dam

Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal

After breakfast this morning, we will visit the Jing’an Temple. Occupying a total area of 22,000 square meters, Jing’an Temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Shanghai. Normally, Buddhist temples are generally built on high mountains because they need a quiet environment. Jing’an Temple, however, is seated in the center of Shanghai, and a business district has been developed around it. This temple has been well-protected and improved during the urbanization of Shanghai. After entering the gate of Jing’an Temple, you will see the tallest incense burner in the world in the middle of the square. This incense burner is made of 15 tons of copper-nickel, with a height of about 10 meters. On its side, there are inscriptions written by the abbot of Jing’an Temple that record in detail the history of this millennium-old temple. You can find more details about this incense burner when you come here.

Then, we will come to see the Yu Garden (Closed on Mondays). Speaking of Shanghai, an international metropolis of China, most people will first picture splendent buildings or bustling nightscape. Besides that, Shanghai is home to many ancient streets and buildings, among which the Yu Garden is the most representative one. Spanning for more than 400 years, Yu Garden now presents visitors a garden landscape that is full of exquisite sceneries. Walking into the gate of Yu Garden, you can see that the rockeries are covered by green trees and stacked at the two corners of a small courtyard. Behind the courtyard, there is a large and quite imposing building that is named the Sansui Hall. In ancient times, it was the place where the local high officials and noble lords hold banquets and business meetings. Now, it is open to the public. You can also ask our tour guide for more information about this hall and Yu Garden.

The next stop is Shanghai Old Street, which is very close to Yu Garden. With a length of 825 meters, Shanghai Old Street attracts numerous visitors at home and abroad every year. In the past, it was the seat of the traditional businesses in old Shanghai, including old-style Chinese private banks, pawnshops, old-fashioned teahouses, embroidery stores, and so on. At present, Shanghai Old Street has experienced several rounds of decoration and renovation, blending its original features with flourishing commercial elements. Here, you will be amazed by the countless Chinese time-honored brands. Dahuchun, for example, is a famous restaurant that sells pan-fried buns stuffed with pork. It’s no exaggeration to say it is the forefather of the restaurants selling pan-fried buns in Shanghai. It stands out for its excellent craftsmanship of making pan-fried buns and its secret recipe that never spreads out. Why not come here and try the delicious food of Shanghai Old Street?

After lunch, we will go to the Bund. It can be said to be a very famous street in Shanghai. When you come here, you will be fascinated by the street outline of the Bund, more specifically, the architecture styles, pavements, and ornaments. The street outline here pays attention to the combination of different architecture styles. You can find the walls of neoclassical and baroque styles, lateral colonnades of Indian style, and green domes of American style. The high-quality pavements serve as an important part of the street outline of the Bund. They can facilitate the transportation of the Bund owing to their flat, compact, and skid-resistant surfaces. The ornaments such as the streetlamps and shop signs also form a distinctive scenery of the Bund. You can find more details about this popular street of Shanghai when you come here.

Later, we will arrive at Nanjing Road. It is billed as the No.1 Chinese commercial street for its long history, splendid buildings, and bustling markets. With a total length of 5.5 kilometers, it can be divided into east and west parts, namely the Nanjing East Road and the Nanjing West Road. For example, the Nanjing East Road stretches 1599 meters, with various time-honored brands and shopping malls on both sides. You can find the Mosaic Shanghai here, a grand shopping mall that opened on June 6th, 2015. It aims to create a new form of shopping and entertainment for the urban new generation of Shanghai with freedom, interaction, activity, creativity, and love. You can get a new experience of shopping in the Mosaic Shanghai.

Then, we will visit the Shanghai Tower, the second tallest building in the world at present. The aboveground part of the Shanghai Tower is 119 floors, with a total height of 632 meters. As a comprehensive high-rise building, the Shanghai Tower is mainly for office work. Other businesses here include sightseeing and entertainment, exhibition, hotel, commerce, etc. You can visit the “Top of Shanghai Observatory” on the 118th floor, an area for experiencing different functions of the Shanghai Tower. The observatory provides services of catering, sightseeing, meeting, and so on. You can also get a bird’s view of Shanghai’s city landscape. All the buildings of Shanghai will be under your feet when you are at this 546-meter-high observatory.

After the visit, we will return to the hotel in Shanghai urban area.

Yu Garden

The Bund

After today’s breakfast, you will say goodbye to Shanghai, China. Our tour guide will take you to the airport and assist you with checking in for the return flight. That’s the end of our service. See you next time!

Author: Yan Weiran

Proofreader: Lexie