Yangtze River

Yangtze River Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

This extensive waterway cuts through the heart of China, and is regarded by the Chinese as marking the division of their country into north and south, both geographically and culturally. Its width can range from eight to more than 1000 meters when the water rises. It rises in the Kunlun Mountains in the southwestern section of Qinghai Province in China, and flows generally south through Sichuan Province into Yunnan Province, where, in the vicinity of Huize, it bends sharply to the northeast. Then, it flows generally northeast and east across central China through Sichuan, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu Provinces to its mouth in the East China Sea, about 23 km (about 14 miles) north of Shanghai.

Three parts

The Yangtze is divided into three parts.

The Upper Reaches

The Upper Reaches from the source in Qinghai Province to Yichang in Hubei Province, a distance of some 4,400 kilometers (2,700 miles). This stretch is one of Great beauty, with Wild Mountain ranges, unbroken ravines, un-navigable rapids and rushing torrents. The Three Gorges are included in this section, as is the Sichuan Basin.

The Middle Reaches

The Middle Reaches from Yichang to Hukou at the mouth of Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, a distance of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Here, the river widens and flows through flat, low-lying land and is fed by waters from two huge Lakes, the Dongting and the Poyang. This is the region where the battle against Flooding has been carried on for centuries, earthen dykes and paved embankments tell of past and present heroic struggles.

The Lower Reaches

The Lower Reaches from Hukou to the estuary, a distance of some 900 kilometers (560 miles). The landscape in the river's lower course is typified by a flat delta Plain crisscrossed by canals and waterways, with soil so rich and water so abundant that the region has been known for centuries as the "Land of Fish and Rice".

Weather

The wet season begins in April, bringing heavy rain in the middle and lower reaches. By July and August the wet weather reaches the Sichuan Basin where the Prevalence of mountainous terrain causes widespread rainfall. Then, as the water Level starts to subside; the "Sichuan waters" begin to threaten again.

Transportation

With its numerous tributaries and feeders, the Yangtze provides a great transportation network through the heart of some of the most densely populated and economically important areas in China. Almost all of the boating traffic in China is on the Yangtze River. Among the principal cities on the Yangtze, in addition to those cited in the foregoing, they are Wuchang, Nanjing, Hanyang, and Anqing (An-ch'ing). Jiangsu Province, largely a deltaic plain consisting of silt deposited by the Yangtze, is one of the chief rice-growing areas of China.

Scenic spot

The Yangtze River winds through the most beautiful and exciting land forms in the world. Once it reaches the edge of the Tibetan plateau, the river plunges off the "roof of the world," through huge gorges. The Three Gorges are famous for their steepness, beautiful wonders and tourist sites. The walls of the gorges are steep and can reach as high as 3000 feet.

Construction

In 1995 construction began on the Three Gorges Dam near Yichang and is scheduled for completion in 2009. The dam will measure about 600 feet and about 1.5 miles wide. The dam is expected to help control the flooding of the Yangtze River Valley. The Three Gorges (the Qutang Gorge, the Wuxia Gorge, and Xiling Gorge) will also be the largest electricity generating facility in the world. The hydroelectric generators will provide 1/9 of China's total power output.

More get to know

Yangtze River flow past 2 autonomous regions and 6 provinces totally and cuts through the heart of China. The watershed area of the Yangtze River is about 700,000 square miles, approximately 20% of China's total land area, and 25% of its total farming land area. Its fertile alluvial plains produce great amounts of wheat, cotton, tobacco and silk.

About 350 million people live near the Yangtze River and its 700 tributaries and the Yangtze River reaches are rich in such agricultural productions as rice, cotton, edible oil, silk, linen, tea and tobacco, of which the rice production makes up 70 percent and the cotton about one-third of the country's total respectively.

The Yangtze River reaches were one of the cradles of the Chinese civilization. Places along both sides of the river are homes to hundreds and thousands of relics and ancient architectures such as mansions, terraces and platforms, pavilions, towers, temples, gardens, stone carvings and forests of steles, which all serve as proofs of the intelligence and wisdom of the ancient Chinese people. Dangerous floods kill people and livestock living near the river.

Yangtze River Highlights

Yangtze River Highlights Related

Yangtze River attraction highlights

• Qutang Gorge
• Wu Gorge
• Xiling Gorge
• Three Gorges Dam
• The First Bend of the Yangtze
• Small Three Gorges
• Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge

Three Gorges attraction highlights

Labeled as one of the ten most famous scenic sites in China, the three famous gorges of the Yangtze offers travelers 120 miles (192km) of spectacular scenic landscapes, death defying rapids, surreal shaped peaks and mountaintop, and countless historical sites.

• Yichang
• Badong

• Qutang Gorge
• Wu Gorge
• Xiling Gorge
• Three Gorges Dam
• Chongqing Three Gorges Museum

Boat Trackers attraction highlights

When you are in a boat in Yangtze River, you will notice that you don't have to use an oar to make the boat move, instand, the boat is dragged by a bunch of people alongside the river; those people are called boat trackers: Yangtze river's hard workers.

• Shennong Stream

Chinese Sturgeon attraction highlights

It is an animal strictly protected by the Chinese government, and is thought to have lived at the same time as dinosaurs, dating back to a period 140 million years ago. Because of that, it is sometimes also known as a living fossil.

• Qutang Gorge
• Wu Gorge
• Xiling Gorge
• Three Gorges Dam

Yangtze River FAQ & Travelers's Tips

1. What's the history of Yangtze River?
2. What are the characteristics of Yangtze river?
3. How's the environment around Yangtze River?
4. When is the best time to cruise on the Yangtze River?
5. What's the difference between upstream and downstream?
6. What are the sightseeings alongside the river?
7. What does the cruise ticket include?
8. How are the ship meals arranged?
9. What is the difference between an ocean cruise ship and a Yangtze River cruise ship on management structure?
10. Is there any limit for luggage?

1. What's the history of Yangtze River?

   The Yangtze Harbor is important to the cultural origins of southern China. Human activity was found in the Three Gorges area as far back as 27 thousand years ago, initiating debate over the origin of the Chinese people. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Ba and Shu were located in the western part of the river, covering modern Sichuan, Chongqing, and western Hubei; Chu was located in the central part of river, corresponding to Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and southern Anhui. Wu and Yue were located in the eastern part of the river, now Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Although the Yellow River region was richer and more developed at that time, the milder climate and more peaceful environment made the Yangtze river area more suitable for agriculture.
   
   From the Han Dynasty, the region of the Yangtze river became more and more important in China's economy. The establishment of irrigation systems (the most famous one is Dujiangyan, northwest of Chengdu, built during the Warring States period) made agriculture very stable and productive. Early in the Qing dynasty, the region called 'Jiangnan' (that includes the southern part of Jiangsu, the northern part of Zhejiang, and the southeastern part of Anhui) provided 1/3-1/2 of the nation's revenues.
   
   Historically, the Yangtze became the political boundary between north China and south China several times because of the difficulty of crossing the river. Many battles took place along the river, the most famous being the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208 AD during the Three Kingdoms period.
   
   Politically, Nanjing was the capital of China several times, although most of the time its territory only covered the southeastern part of China, such as the Wu kingdom in the Three Kingdoms period, the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and smaller countries in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periods. Only the Ming occupied most parts of China from their capital at Nanjing, though it later moved capital to Beijing. The ROC capital was located in Nanjing in the periods 1911-1912, 1927-1937, 1945-1949.




2. What are the characteristics of Yangtze river?

   The Yangtze flows into the East China Sea and was navigable by ocean-going vessels up to a thousand miles from its mouth even before the Three Gorges Dam was built. As of June 2003, this dam spans the river, flooding Fengjie, the first of a number of towns affected by the massive flood control and power generation project. This is the largest comprehensive irrigation project in the world, and has a significant impact on the China's agriculture. Its proponents argue that it will free people living along the river from floods that have repeatedly threatened them in the past, and will offer them electricity and water transport -- though at the expense of permanently flooding many existing towns (including numerous ancient cultural relics) and causing large-scale changes in the local ecology.
   
   Opponents of the dam point out that there are three different kinds of floods on the Yangtze River: floods which originate in the upper reaches, floods which originate in the lower reaches, and floods along the entire length of the river. They argue that the Three Gorges dam will actually make flooding in the upper reaches worse and have little or no impact on floods which originate in the lower reaches. Twelve hundred years of low water marks on the river were recorded in the inscriptions and the carvings of carp at Baiheliang, now submerged.
   
   The Yangtze is flanked with metallurgical, power, chemical, auto, building materials and machinery industrial belts, and high-tech development zones. It is playing an increasingly crucial role in the river valley's economic growth and has become a vital link for international shipping to the inland provinces. The river is a major transportation artery for China, connecting the interior with the coast. The river used as a waterway for commerce offer now the possibility to cruise at leisure. Since 2004 a European luxury cruising company has brought very high standard and with the help of Swiss hotelier Nicolas C. Solari developed and opened three beautiful vessels now cruising the mighty river. The river is one of the world's busiest waterways. Traffic includes commercial traffic transporting bulk goods such as coal as well as manufactured goods and passengers. Cargo transportation reached 795 million tons in 2005. River cruises several days long especially through the beautiful and scenic Three Gorges area are becoming popular as the tourism industry grows in China.
   
   Flooding along the river has been a major problem. The rainy season in China is May and June in areas south of Yangtze River, and July and August in areas north of it. The huge river system receives water both from southern and northern flanks, which causes its flood season to extend from May to August. Meanwhile, the relatively dense population and rich cities along the river make the floods more deadly and costly. The most recent major floods were the 1998 Yangtze River Floods, but more disastrous were the 1954 Yangtze river floods, killing around 30,000 people. Other severe floods included those of 1911 which killed around 100,000, 1931 (145,000 dead), and 1935 (142,000 dead).

   The Yangtze is very polluted, especially in Hubei (Shashi).



3. How's the environment around Yangtze River?

   In 2007 fears were expressed that China's Finless Porpoise, known locally as the jiangzhu or'river pig' might follow the baiji, the Yangtze river dolphin, into extinction. The baiji was declared functionally extinct in 2006.
   
   Calls have been made for action to be taken to save the porpoise, of which there are about 1400 left living, with between 700 and 900 in the Yangtze, with about another 500 in Poyang and Dongting Lakes.
   
   2007 population levels are less than half the 1997 levels, and the population is dropping at a rate of 7.3 percent per year.
   
   Heavy river traffic on the Yangtze has driven the porpoise into the lakes. On Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, sand dredging has become a mainstay of local economical development in the last few years, and is an important source of revenue in the region that border it. But at the same time, high-density dredging projects have been the principal cause of the death of the local wildlife population.
   
   Dredging makes the waters of the lake muddier, and the porpoises cannot see as far as they once could, and have to rely on their highly-developed sonar systems to avoid obstacles and look for food. Large ships enter and leave the lake at the rate of two a minute and such a high density of shipping means the porpoises have difficulty hearing their food, and also cannot swim freely from one bank to the other. About 30% of river's major tributaries like Minjiang, Tuojiang, Xiangjiang and Huangpu are heavily polluted by massive quantities of ammonia, nitrogen, phosphorus and other pollutants which are causing significantly smaller fish catch.

   The Three Gorges Dam is having a major adverse impact on the Yangtze River basin, especially the biota and archaeology.



4. When is the best time to cruise on the Yangtze River?

   Any time is okay to travel when ships are sailing. The most popular times are April, May, September, October and even November as the good weather lingers much longer in China than that in North America.




5. What's the difference between upstream and downstream?

   The advantage and disadvantage of upstream trip and downstream trip is the following

   • UPSTREAM
     
     1, Upstream trip is more relax and comfortable because of one more day staying on the cruise ship. The passengers will not feel tired and busy during these days.
     
     2, For foreigners, you may have more chance to know and learn some chinese culture and custom.
     
     3, For persons who have not enough time to travel, upstream is not a good selection.
     
     4, The place of the begining is Yichang city in which the airport route is not enough for the travellers around the world.
     
     
   • DOWNSTREAM
     
     1, Chongqing has a bigger airport, so it's easier for them to get to Chongqing boarding the cruise ship from many cities.
     
     2, Most people think downstream trip gives you the feeling that you're going down the main stream.
     
     3, For some travellers who have not enough time. The downstream trip is best choice.
     
     4, As there are more people take downstream cruises, it's more expensive and more crowded.




6. What are the sightseeings alongside the river?

   The cruise will allow you to enjoy some unique sights including superlative natural scenery, important historical sites.
   Some of the highlights from Chongqing to Yichuan are:

   • Chaotianmen Gate Chaotianmen Gate is the largest harbor on the upper reach of the Yangtze River. It is an amazing place where the brown, muddy Yangtze meets the clear Jialing River.
   
   
   • Fengdu Ghost City It is said to be the home of devil. The whole place has an eerie feel to it with deserted streets, tower blocks, empty shops and banks.
   
   
   • Shibaozhai Shibaozhai is a rectangular rock with sheer cliffs, standing on the riverside. A 12-storey red wooden pagoda with upturned eaves stands on the top.
   
   
   • Lesser Three Gorges The Lesser Three Gorges refers to the three separate valleys of the Daning River with the names of Dragon Gate Gorge, Misty Gorge and Emerald Gorge. The gorges are truly spectacular. Sheer cliffs soar up towards the sky from the brown-green water. Mountain tops hover above the ribbon of mist, disconnected from their roots.
   
   
   • Shennong Sream Shennong Stream is a tributary of the Yangtze River. The crystal clear steam flows swiftly from north to south through deep gorges.
   
   
   • Baidi City(White Emperor City) Baidi City clings to grand hills and cliffs. It is well known as 'the Poet City' Many ancient scholars once visited it and left many literary relics.
   
   
   • Gezhou Dam The dam is 2,606 meters long and 70 meters high. There will be 5 ship locks and even an elevator to lift smaller ships over the dam.
   
   
   Note: You may only see some of those sights along your trip, which depends on the ship you take.



7. What does the cruise ticket include?

   The price is very comprehensive as it includes the accommodation, all meals on board, shore excursions and port taxes. The extra costs would be gratuity which is your personal discretion, drinks in bars, long distance telephone calls and faxes, laundry, barbershop, clinics, massage, shopping and others personal expenses.

8. How are the ship meals arranged?

   Each ship has a big restaurant, which can accommodate all passengers on board the ship. So, there are no shifts on board the ship.Passengers are arranged at appointed tables, which are planned by travel group, nationality, habit of food, religion and culture. Usually, ten persons are at one table. Sometimes, three to five persons are at one table, which depend on the total number of the passengers. There are many collective activities such as shore excursions and they have fixed schedules, so the meal schedules are fixed, too. It takes 1-1.5 hours to have your meals rely on the schedule. A three-star or above cruise ship provides room dinner service and local flavor banquet if you book half or one day in advance. If you are a patient, or Moslem, or Buddhist, you may give advanced notice. Diet, vegetarian, low sugar and low salt food are also available.
   
   Each ship has a welcome banquet and farewell banquet, on which dishes are delivered to table. Some five-star ships offer authentic western banquets, with silver forks and knives, provide imported butter, cheese. Most cruise ships arrange buffet meals, with both Chinese and western food.
   
   Most ships also take orders for Chinese dishes. If you want to treat somebody special on the ship, even with a banquet, it can be arranged. The main menu is published on the notice board in front of the restaurant. Ask the waiter or waitress if you are not sure.
   
   Here is a list of food provided on board:

   • Chinese Wine Tsingtao Dry Wine, Dynasty Dry White Wine, Dynasty Red Wine, Loyal
   
   
   • Cocktail with Alcohol tw Medini, Grass Hopper, Whisky Sour, Teqinla Suririse, Planter Punch, Tom Collins, Margarita, Daiquiri, Pina Bloody Mary.
   
   
   • Cocktail without Alcohol Royal Cruise, Pussy Foot, Fn, iit Punch
   
   
   • Soft Drinks (aerated water, mineral, juice) Cola, Diet Cola, Spirit Sodri Tonic, Evian Water, Pemer Water, Localwater, Orange Juice, Tomato Juice, Coconut Milk
   
   
   • Aperiiifs Campari, Pemo4 Martini
   
   
   • Sherry Port Cream Sheny, Fino Sheny, Sandeman Port
   
   
   • Whisky Scotch Whisky, Whisky, Irish Whisky, Malt Whisky, Bour Whisky
   
   
   • Vodka Smimoff Vodka, Stolichiiaya Vodka
   
   
   • Gin, Gordonfs
   
   
   • Rum Captain Morgen, Bacardi Rum
   
   
   • Congnac Courvoisier Napolone, Remy Martin. Hennessy
   
   
   • Congnac Courvoisier X. O, Remy Martin X. O, Hennessy X. O, Martell Cordon Bleu
   
   
   • Spirit Pernod, Underberg, Tequila
   
   
   • Beer and Stout Carlsberg, Heineken. San Miguel, Stout
   
   
   • Chinese Spirits Fen Jiu, Mao Tai, Bai Yun Bian, Wu Liang Ye



9. What is the difference between an ocean cruise ship and a Yangtze River cruise ship on management structure?

   The management system on the Yangtze is simple. The general manager is in charge, which is different from ocean cruise vessels. Captain is in charge of the operation of mechanical part of the ship. He must concentrate on the sailing because there are lots of gorges, reefs and shoals in the river. The captains on the Yangtze River are experienced and have been examined and promoted strictly. Ordinarily, there are one hundred and half travelers and one hundred staffs on one ship.




10. Is there any limit for luggage?

    There is no rule for the number of the pieces or weight of personal luggage on your cruise ship. But closet space is limited, so bring things you intend to use. There is a luggage rack in every room and luggage deposit service is available. If you are a member of a travel group, your luggage will be sent to ship in advance or arrive at the same time you check in. The luggage will be sent into your cabin by the bellboy once your cabin is assigned. If you are traveling individually, the bellboy will help you. But the ships usually charge $1 per piece, arrival or departure. Please note this is not tip and you have to pay upfront on the spot.If you want to pay tip when he has finished his job, give him one or two ten-yuan bills when you do not have a lot of stuff.