26 Lesser Three Gorges

It was advertised in the daily newsletter that there would be some scenic cruising this morning at around 6.45am.  Remember this is winter, so the days high was suppose to be 13 deg C.   I braved it along with a few others, Australian I am sure.








Sailing through the Wu Gorge was quite dramatic, the steep mountains rose out of the river as far as the eye could see.  just like sailing through a Nordic Fjord, a New Zealand sound or an Alaskan passage.

With a backdrop of misty skies threatening rain, striking were the red bridges that spanned across one side of the river to the other. 

I will insert a couple of photos that not only show the gorge but the Ships decks.... this was the only time I ventured out as it was just too cold.

Out on the back deck, didn't look that inviting, looks like the water is straight out of the Yangtze

Glass panels that let light down into the Atrium.  That room that those people are coming out of is another room for VIP Diners.  

This mornings excursion was to the Lesser of three Gorges...

"It is very obvious that the river water of Daning River is emerald green compared to the light green of the Yangtze River. Mist–wreathed mountains along Daning River are covered with lush green flourishing vegetation, much of which is one of the specialties of Wushan County, called Cloud and Mist Tea. This kind of tea is required to be planted on cliffs in a cloudy and misty environment. There are often troops of monkeys appearing at the river bank and on the trees of the mountains.

Besides the natural beauty, there are many historical sites along the Lesser Three Gorges, among which the most notable ones are the Hanging Coffins and a plank road built along the cliff."

This a very apt description of where we visited today. After a very scenic sail in, our ship docked in Wushan, where we were transported and transferred in to ferry's that took us into the Daning River. 

This is the boat we were transferred to.  We were only allowed on the lower level.  You pay extra for each level up.

small village along the way

This photo is to give you some perspective.  That small orange boat is a bit bigger than a pilot boat

A drizzly morning soon turned into beautiful sunshine, first time for this trip.  The blue skies were a beautiful back drop to the towering mountains that sprung out of the water.. The colours of the autumn leaves sparkled in the sunlight.  It was lovely to be outside to feel the warmth...

This "Ancient Style Walk" went for miles hugging the mountainside.

In order for us to explore even further into the lesser gorges we were transferred into smaller wooden boats.

Once underway our hosts gave us a commentary how the locals used to live, which included a few theatrics. As we glided through the clear emerald waters we could hear singing from small boats strategically moored or people hidden away on ledges on the mountain.  

Bit of a showman this one!

Everyone had a turn

Here was a little deja vu

Here is one for my cruising buddies

If you look just at the front of the cave, you will see a very weathered box.... this is what is known as a "hanging coffin" well this one is not hanging but along the Yangtze there were coffins tucked away in crevices or crudely attached to the side of a cliff face. No one really knows why but some say that it made it easier for the souls to make their way to heaven.

Here is a close up

We returned to ferry, which in turn returned us to the Yangtze Gold 6, in time for lunch and the sail to our next excursion.

25 Tribe of Three Gorges - " appealing like a painting"

Like a true Greek mama,
always trying to match make

"Appealing like a Painting" no truer words have ever been written..

I would have to say this was my most favourite shore excursion on our Yangtze River Cruise.  Think of Old Sydney Town, with an Asian flavour.

This touristy spot is so picturesque that I nearly wet myself as I turned the corner and entered the site, I didn't know which way to point the camera.  Villages beautifully recreated that immersed you into their primitive life style, historical folk culture and the traditions of the local people who lived along the Yangtze River.  They say it is a perfect mixture of Ba and Chu cultures.

The area is vast and we only got to see a small part of it, but probably the prettiest.  

We were guided by a lovely young girl in traditional dress. She spoke of her clothes and the meaning of the basket she carried on her back.... if it is filled with flowers then you are available for marriage, once you are married, that is where you carry your baby !!

From this first map you can see just how large it is.  

The second map shows the small area were we we spent our time there walking along the Longii Brook.  Along either side of it's banks traditional homes have been reconstructed exactly as they used to be.

No matter where you go, no matter what time of the day... there is always food on a stick

As we entered through the first pavilion we were welcomed by a lone trumpeter. 

 It is then you step out onto a platform with views straight down the Yangtze. Houses and small boats built to form the Village on the Water.  We stood and watched as men in traditional dress pulled ropes and brought the larger boats closer to their moorings

As you followed the path the silence was only broken by  a single flute player standing on a rock or the tunes that emanated from the pavilions.  But best of all were the beautiful songs sung by the girls on boats along the stream.  

Further up the brook you will find the Stream-side tribe.  You can watch the ancient water wheel go round, locals washing and fishing nets at the ready.

  

Always a photo Opportunity

Getting ready for our play

A highlight of our visit was a reenactment of a typical Tujia Marriage .... more commonly known as the Crying Wedding....

The play was narrated in Chinese and all you can do is watch and assume what is going on.... but now that I am home, I have google and I can tell you the real story .....

For the girls of the Tujia Ethnic Minority, their marriage date is usually welcomed with crying. According to custom, a new bride should begin to cry half a month or one month before their wedding ceremony. Whether a girl can cry about her marriage has become a criterion in the value of the girl's ability and virtue.

In order to be regarded as a good girl, they begin to study how to cry for marriage when they are 12 years old. Some will invite an experienced person to teach them. When the girls reach 15 years of age, they will invite each other to match who cries best and to help teach each other. Some will even discuss methods of crying.

There are songs which are sung when weeping for marriage. These include singing for parents, sisters, brothers, the matchmaker and ancestors. When singing the weeping marriage songs, emotions are fully expressed through the mournful tones. Upon hearing the vivid and strong words of the song, even a stone-hearted man can't fight back his tears. In fact, girls sing these songs before marriage to protest the arranged marriage system under feudalism and express sentimental attachment to their relatives.

Our Narrator

First bride starts crying .... joined by her sisters....

Dad Joins in... I thought he was just sad his little girl was going

The groom arrives and collects his girl

They parade the streets with music, but when will he see her face

Finally married and everyone is smiling ... hey isn't the groom part of our tour group!!

No wedding is complete without a honeymoon

Oh and look..... Dad is smiling again!!!

If doing a Yangtze River Cruise this is one tour that is a must ... I loved it and I can't wait to take Garry there!

24 Three Gorges Ship Lift

So it seems that the 5 level lock system was not enough to sustain the demand, for ships, especially cargo to pass through....

Well what else do you do? Build a lift, and yes you guessed it .... the world most largest ship lift!

So now instead of it taking close to 4 hours as it does with the locks, shipping companies have the option of using this elevator that scoops up a ship, lifts it up over 40 stories and plonks it on the other side of the dam.

Previously a cruise like our would actually start from the lower section of the Yangtze and the ship would travel through the locks to continue it's journey.

In 2018 the government put a temporary ban on all passenger ships from using the lock system.  Now the ships leave from the top section.  This was why our ship actually overnighted in Yichang.

For the second part of our tour we boarded a ferry which took us along the lower Yangtze, up the lift and returned us to the Yangtze Gold 6.

Being well trained by Garry I headed straight to the pointy bit of the ferry to get the best view.  And there I stayed for the next 2 hours or so .....

Everything takes on a different perspective from water level and it was interesting to see the base of the locks as we cruised pass... we then entered the corridor that would take us to the entrance of the lift..

 It was hitting dusk as we waited for our turn to enter the elevator.  No sooner as a ship glided out of the chamber, our engines roared and we started to make our way in.  Once in we were secured with ropes and then the big swimming pool we were sitting in started to rise elevating us up over 100m.

Maybe the kids were not as excited as I was ...... they made the most of free wi fi

 Dark by the time we reached the top we exited into the large lake and headed straight for where our ship was docked.