CHINA

FOR OUR NEXT CRUISE, WE FLEW TO YICHANG

to board Victoria Cruises’ Victoria Jenna for our sailing up the Yangtze River.

The 378- passenger ship is large, bright, and comfortable, with two-thirds of fellow passengers from China. Tours are offered in both English and Chinese, and our first was of the Three Gorges Dam. The size and scope of this project is incredible. The ongoing project will take 17 years to build, during which time 1.3 million people will be relocated. Ultimately, it will be five times larger than the United States’ Hoover Dam. We went through the locks that night, which takes about three hours and is definitely worth watching.

During our trip upstream we stopped at Shennong Stream and sailed through Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge. All are beautiful. We visited fascinating historic temples, religious sites, and pagodas including White Emperor City, Shibaozhai, and Fengdu Ghost City.

Our cruise ended in Chongqing, which has been called “the biggest city you never heard of.” Indeed, with about 15 million people, this vibrant city was a great place to conclude our three-week Asia adventure.

Dongshuimen Bridge and the Yangtze River Tramway; Victoria Cruises features traditional Chinese cuisine; Shennong Stream, off the Yangtze River