China's gorgeous gorges

Photos by Pepper Teehankee on a Canon Digital Ixus

Certain photos provided by Marketing Department of Sanctuary MS Yangzi Explorer

We recently experienced the world famous Three Gorges Dam on a Yangzi River cruise aboard the Sanctuary MS Yangzi Explorer, the most luxurious cruise vessel that passes through the famous three gorges. The Yangzi (or Yangtze, but China’s officially accepted form of Romanisation, Pinyin, is Yangzi) has been China’s main trade artery for over 2,000 years and the 6,381-kilometer river starts from Tibet flowing eastward all the way to Shanghai.

Rajah Travel Corp., together with Sanctuary Retreats and China’s national carrier Air China, treated a group of journalists to a truly unforgettable vacation in China by taking us on this extraordinary cruise. Our group took Air China to Beijing to connect to Chongqing where we embarked on this fabulous river cruise. Chongqing is one of the largest cities with a population of 33 million. We had an hour or two to explore this city and its spicy food before embarking on Sanctuary MS Yangzi Explorer. This ship offers the most personalized service on the river with a 1:1 ratio for crew to passenger, carrying just 124 passengers, compared to other cruise liners that accommodate more than 300 passengers. Onboard facilities include a la carte dining, a luxury spa, an observation deck, 24-hour room service, a two-floor theater, library, shops and beauty and fitness facilities. The ship also has the most spacious spa onboard any cruise vessel on the Yangzi with an area covering more than 300 square meters and six treatment rooms. My room was surprisingly large with an equally spacious bathroom and a private balcony.

An evening dinner onboard coincided with my birthday, which made it more fun. We enjoyed drinks at the bar with the music of Filipino couple Ricky and Maila, who have been working there for over three years now as the “Starlight Duo.” We started to set sail at night, downstream to reach Fengdu after lunch the following day. A short shore excursion allowed us to see this charming village noted for its elaborate Daoist temples and markets where we got a few souvenirs. This is where many were relocated for the Three Gorges Dam Project.

Sanctuary MS Yangzi Explorer cruise manager Scott Gumbiner.

The Three Gorges Dam Project was started in 1992 and was operational by 2009. The entire project will be totally completed in a few more years, which will result in the rising of the water level in several cities and the rising of the water level in the gorges. The dam will be the largest dam on earth, generating 18,200 megawatts of hydroelectricity, almost 50 percent more than the world’s current largest dam, the Itaipu Dam in Brazil and Paraguay. The dam will be 1.2 miles long and 600 feet high. The dam’s 26 generators will generate enough clean energy to reduce China’s reliance of highly polluting coal by up to 50 million tons annually. The dam will also submerge 13 cities, 140 towns, 1,352 villages and over 600 industrial factories, not to mention the more than 1,200 archeological projects and the 1.2 million people who will be resettled as a result of the flooding. It was vital for me to see these three gorges while the water level is not as high as it will be upon completion of the dam. The water level of certain gorges has already risen as the dam project reaches full completion.

The Sanctuary MS Yangzi Explorer entered Qutang Gorge through the “Dragon Door” Kuimen, two imposing cliffs resembling a door. Just eight kilometers in length, Qutang Gorge is the narrowest stretch of the river. The banks are guarded by cliffs soaring to 1,200 meters. Soon after this, the ship entered Wu Gorge, noted for the sheer, looming appearance of its 12 peaks, with the “Goddess Peak” as the most popular. Depending on the weather, passengers may experience a cruise on Shennong Stream. They disembark the ship at Badong and board a ferry, which will transfer them to a local long boat manned by Tujia boatmen. The scenery is unrivaled anywhere along the middle course of the river with crystalline waters, rich forest and towering rock formations. The Shennong region is home to several species of endangered flora and fauna including the Golden Hair Monkey. Best time to do this is actually during late May or June to August.

We also listened to a very interesting presentation by an expert on the Three Gorges Dam Project, followed by an open discussion onboard. Aside from informative lectures, we got to experience the arts of Chinese calligraphy, painting, dumpling making and learning the intricate art of snuff bottle painting. We got the chance to view Xiling Gorge. The dam project sits in the first part of Xiling Gorge. This is the longest of the three gorges measuring 76 kilometers in length. One of the most memorable passages in Xiling Gorge is through the Yellow Ox Gorge (Huangniu Xia) where the river widens and sweeps under the Huangling Temple that stands amid groves of various citrus trees.

We also had a tour and a general introduction of the Three Gorges Project Dam Site and Exhibition Centre, which is currently the world’s largest engineering project. Of course, we had to view the five-step ship lock, which we were not able to actually experience because of time constraints (it would take roughly four hours to go through this five-step lock!) but did we go to the Three Gorges Dam itself.

After viewing this engineering feat, we proceeded to Yichang to catch our flight back to Beijing. We had a great time in this small city, which had tea and embroidery as its main livelihood. I had a chance to sample more local cuisine and even go through several street markets in the short time we were there. Since this was very near the Szechuan province, the food was certainly spicy! I even got to try the local KFC, which had a shrimp sandwich with a very spicy sauce!

A temple in Fengdu.

After lunch, we were off to Beijing for a roast duck dinner and an overnight stay. Why not stay in this bustling city for one night when it was en route to Manila? So Rajah Travel’s GM for corporate travel Jenny Gapuz and vice president/director Alice San Juan again expertly guided our group in Beijing to see its famous sights like Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, the Bird’s Nest, the Water Cube, and of course, the Great Wall of China before going straight to the airport to catch Air China’s last flight out to Manila. Being Filipinos, we shopped for whatever we could find in these tourist areas and quickly stuffed them into our suitcases before checking in.

River cruises are cruises I truly enjoy. I’ve done the Seine, Danube, the Volga and Neva, the Mekong, Chao Praya, the Rhine and several others but this Yangzi cruise had spectacular and breathtaking sceneries to offer and I certainly would not hesitate to do it again  especially when those gorgeous gorges’ water levels are rising. I do hope to have the opportunity to do this before the total completion of the Three Gorges Dam Project.

(Check out Rajah Travel’s website, especially its luxe collection section at www.rajahtravel.com/theluxecollection/elegantexplorations.html. You may also call or e-mail its two branches for inquiries or bookings. The Makati branch is (02) 894-0886 local 1317 or 1517 or e-mail [email protected] or get in touch with the Manila branch by calling (02) 523-8801 to 07 local 8505 or 8506 or e-mail sales[email protected]. Air China’s website is www.airchina.com or you may call (02) 567-8777 or (02) 330-5074 or e-mail [email protected].)

Rajah Travel’s GM for corporate travel Jenny Gapuz and vice president/director Alice San Juan at the port in Chonqing before embarkation.

(The Yangzi Explorer may be viewed in detail at www.sanctuaryretreats.com/cruises/china/yangzi-explorer.cfm)

Star columnist Krip Yuson plays the part on Tiananmen Square in Beijing.