Yangzi Downstream Discovery

Duration: 3 nights

Downstream cruise on the Yangzi from Chongqing to Yichang, inclusive of shore excursion to Fengdu, Shennong Stream and the Three Gorges Dam Project.

Day 01 - Depart Chongqing

This evening you will board the Sanctuary M.S. Yangzi Explorer for your cruise to Yichang. After settling into your cabin, the ship will set sail on its downstream course through the Three Gorges region. The total length of this cruise is 660 kilometres (402 miles) and is considered by most Chinese to represent the single most scenic area in all of China.

Later in the evening, a documentary about the Three Gorges Dam Project will be shown in the Tang Theatre.

Overnight: Sanctuary M.S. Yangzi Explorer

Day 02 - Fengdu

Start your morning with traditional Chinese exercise and work up an appetite for the buffet breakfast. Learn from our certified Taichi master and experience the soothing art form in the outdoor observation deck area or inside the Tang Theatre.

After breakfast, discover the authentic method to preparing tea in China. Understand the benefit from each type of tea, the equipment used in a tea appreciation ceremony, the procedure in producing the finest tea and finally tasting the product.

Afterwards it's time to learn to make dumplings. Our chef will personally teach you the many secrets of the Chinese kitchen and show you the proper technique that is used in Chinese dumpling making.

After lunch, there will be a shore excursion to Fengdu. Fengdu is a charming river village noted for its elaborate Daoist temple and bustling markets. Mingle with the locals and see how school children receive their early education. Gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the Three Gorges Dam Project on the local farming families - the relocation process, their feelings upon being informed of the programme, compensation issues and their current livelihood.

In the afternoon, enjoy a complimentary afternoon tea with pastries in the Explorer Bar, before a lecture presentation introducing the Yangzi River.
 
There is also an optional tour to the Captain's Bridge (please speak with front desk to arrange).

The evening will begin with the Captain’s Welcome Reception – meet with the Captain and other department heads of the ship. This is followed by the Welcome Dinner – enjoy our wide selection of meals from our a la carte menu, designed by our international award-winning chef. 

Overnight: Sanctuary M.S. Yangzi Explorer

Day 03 - Qutang Gorge - Wu Gorge - Shennong Stream - Xiling Gorge - Three Gorges

Early this morning the Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer will enter Qutang Gorge through the majestic Kui Men - two imposing cliffs, which resemble a towering door into some otherworldly destination. Just 8 kilometres (6 miles) in length, Qutang Gorge is the narrowest stretch of the river on your cruise itinerary, only 150 metres (485 feet) at its widest point. The banks are guarded by sheer cliffs soaring 1,200 metres (3,900 feet) in height while the river water gushes forward channeled along by the great force built up at the Kui Men which marks the western extremity of the gorge.

After breakfast, you will enter Wu Gorge, noted for the sheer, looming appearance of the numerous peaks which mark this portion of the river. The cliff faces rise so sharply that legend relates that the “sun rarely penetrates to the river”. The most famous of the peaks is the Shennu Peak (Goddess Peak), also called the “Observing the Clouds Peak”, which is believed to represent the figure of the maiden Yao Ji, the 23rd daughter of the Queen Mother of the West.  According to Chinese folklore, Yao Ji descended to earth when she was 18 and so loved the region of the Wu Gorge that she built a palace there. She also promised to guard travellers through the treacherous rapids and dangerous rock faces of the gorge by turning into the protective peak while her twelve handmaidens became the twelve sentinel peaks found throughout the gorge.

Later this morning you will cruise Shennong Stream. Disembark from the ship at Badong and board a ferry which will transfer you to a local longboat (sampan) poled by Tujia boatmen. The scenery is unrivaled anywhere along the middle course of the river, crystalline waters, rich forest and towering rock formations. The Shennong region is home to several species of endangered flora and fauna including the elusive Golden Hair Monkey and many varieties of medicinal plants.

After lunch, there will be a presentation by an expert on the Three Gorges Dam Project, followed by an open discussion.

Following afternoon tea, you will have the chance to view Xiling Gorge. The Three Gorges Dam sits in the first part of Xiling Gorge. This is the longest of the gorges, measuring some 76 kilometres (47 miles) 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 orange and pomelo trees, a variety of citrus related to the grapefruit. 

Later in the afternoon, try Chinese brush painting and calligraphy – watch and participate as the art instructor shows and explains the method of Chinese painting and writing.

This evening is "A Taste of China" Dinner – participate and dress up with the crew members. After dinner, enjoy an evening of well-prepared entertainment by our crew members.

Overnight: Sanctuary M.S. Yangzi Explorer

Day 04 - Disembark in Yichang

After breakfast, you will arrive at the Three Gorges Project Dam Site and Exhibition Centre where you will embark on a tour of the area. This tour will serve as a general introduction to the project site which is currently the world’s largest engineering project.

 The Three Gorges Dam Project was started in 1992 and will be completed and operational by 2009. The dam will be the largest dam on Earth, generating 18,200 megawatts of hydroelectricity (almost 50% more than the world’s current largest dam, the Itaipu Dam in Brazil and Paraguay). The dam will be 1.2 miles in length and measure 600 feet (185 metres) in height.  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. However 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 that will be resettled as a result of the flooding.

Late morning, you will disembark the Sanctuary M.S. Yangzi Explorer.

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