YANGTZE RIVER, Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Lesser Three Gorges

Today was a 375 photo day. After sailing through the Qutang Gorge, all 260 passengers disembarked the Viking Century Emerald in Wushan and transferred to smaller boats for a sightseeing tour through the Dragon Gate Gorge, Misty Gorge and the Emerald Gorge in the Daning River. The ethereal peaks shrouded in mist are dramatic and clearly worthy of a painter's brush. When we reboarded our vessel after a 3-hour tour (which included rhesus monkey sightings) we planted ourselves on the observation deck for another 3-hours to enjoy the rural landscape and take more vertical shots through the Wu Gorge. I hope you enjoy these photos of our bliss-filled day!

YANGTZE RIVER, Shibaozhai

We boarded the Viking Century Sun in Chongqing (city with the largest population in China with 32 million people) after a quick tour of the the temple square that marks the center of this hilly city surrounded by mountains. (There is a new Three Gorges Dam Museum in Chongqing - photo below - that houses many treasures that would have been submersed by the flooding created by the dam.) We reached our ship via funicular and settled into our stateroom with a view of the Chongqing Opera House and unpacked for our five day cruise along the Yangtze River to Wuhan.

Our first port of call was Shibaozhai, and the affects of the flooding due to the Three Gorges Dam were immediately visible. A retaining wall has been constructed around the base of the 350 year old Shibaozhai Pagoda. It once sat at the the top of a high mountain and is now near river level. Our trek to the pagoda entailed a fifteen minute walk up a steep hill, through a souvenir vendor lined street, over a pedestrian suspension bridge, followed by a climb to the top of the 16 story pagoda. Okay, so that doesn't sound too difficult but add 100-degree temperatures with a matching humidity and reaching the pinnacle resulted in a sweat-filled celebration!

Xi'an, China

Xi'an is one of the birthplaces of civilization. It has seen 3,100 years of development and 13 dynasties, giving it equal fame with Athens, Rome and Cairo as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals. Xi'an means Western Peace and it is the starting point of the famed Silk Road. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, unified China, built The Great Wall and funneled the dynasties resources toward assembling his afterlife tomb, including his thousands of life-size terra cotta soldiers, each with a unique face and uniform.

These soldiers were first discovered in 1972 when 5 local farmers attempted to dig a well. Archaeologists estimate there were 6000 soldiers, along with horses and chariots in just one of the four pits built for Emperor Qin.  When they were found, having been buried for over 2,000 years, most were broken into many parts because there were wooden roofs covering the soldiers and over time, as the weight of the soil crushed the roofs, the soldiers were shattered. The archeological project of excavating and piecing each warrior back together will likely be continuing for the next 2000 years from what I see of the work in front of them.

Our visit to Xi'an also included a Tang Dynasty Acrobat show and a stay at the Kempinski hotel (shown in the first photo). The buffet breakfast matched the variety and expanse of the breakfasts we enjoyed in Beijing. One of my favorite treats is the dim sum, like this slightly sweet pumpkin dumpling. The Kempinski also included gas masks in each room. We couldn't get an explanation for this from Iowa but it provided amusing dinner conversation.

Beijing Hutong

Before our afternoon flight to Xi'an our driver dropped us off at the Drum and Bell Towers. These sit on the center axis of Beijing with the Forbidden City anchoring the South and now the Olympic Bird's Nest to the North. The bell tower marked time for Beijing people before the cultural revolution. Evidently the first item people bought after the revolution - with several month's salary - was a watch. The towers now serve as tourist sites with frequent ceremonial performances.

The government of China has designated a couple dozen Hutong communities as historic sites, though most have been torn down and replaced with modern buildings. The narrow alleyways are lined with primarily gray-walled windowless structures with periodic entryways that lead to family homes and complexes. Though some residents are enjoying economic prosperity, they have no access to sewage systems and must use common communal toilets that are owned and operated by the government. A monthly fee is charged for this convenience. The well off are able to upgrade their homes with solar showers, but no toilets.

After a rickshaw ride dodging bicycles, scooters, cars and pedestrians all jockeying for right of way we visited the home of Mrs. Wong which is right next door to a bed & breakfast - a new concept in this neighborhood.  Mrs. Wong's home is 200 years old and has accommodated five generations of relatives. The lovely center courtyard has a bedroom and living room in the North rooms and kitchen and dining room to the South. (Note Mrs. Wong's sinkless kitchen!)

I always feel like a voyeur on excursions like this and try to be discreet as I snap photos. Yet these images of daily life are some of my favorite. I hope you enjoy these glimpses of our rickshaw ride around a Beijing Hutong.

Postscript: Aboard our flight to Xi'an we were treated to views of the Great Wall and mountainous regions draped with farming steppes. Beautiful!