Yangtze River Overview

The Yangtze River, with the length of 6300km- the longest river in China, is boasted as the cradle of Chinese civilization. It originates from the south side of Tanggula Mountain in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flows into the East China Sea. The Yangtze drains an area of more than 445 million acress taking up one fifth of total land area of China.

The Yangtze has always been a major means of transport and has a colorful and exciting history. Ships were pulled by hand through some of the more dangerous reaches by ‘trackers’ working from narrow paths cut into the steep cliffsides.The pilots and captains that picked their way through the whirlpools, rocks and wildly fluctuating water levels have achieved legendary status.

The stunning scenery makes the Three Gorges cruise along the Yangtze a ‘must do’, either alone or as part of a longer trip. The Rising waters means that some sights have been lost but the phenomena has created newly navigable tributaries with amazing new sights and of course, the Dam itself, which is due for completion in 2009. The world’s largest hydroelectric power plant will generate the equivalent of 15 nuclear plants, control the centuries-old problem of devastating floods and allow navigation well into the interior. (25% of China’s ocean cargo enters the river between Shanghai and the sea.)

Apart from the beautiful Scenery, you will enjoy a lot from the particular local culture like: Burial Custom, Festivals, Ghost City, Peddlers, Relics, Remains and the Trackers.