China Trip

Farewell to Three Gorges

Summer, 1999


A view of a portion the Great Wall of China outside Beijing. Here the wall is built on a hill.		The wall is thicker at the bottom than at the top. The purpose of the wall was to keep invaders out. Although men could climb the wall, the horses could not.

On June 4, 1999, we boarded the Air China plane to Shanghai to begin our two-week tour of China including a 4-day/5-night cruise on the Yangtze River.

We had many hazy rainy drizzly days, but our tour was only hampered during one day. We had great weather while the ship cruised through each of the three gorges. One day in Beijing it rained heavily and those of us who didn't have umbrellas found street peddlers selling them for $1.

This trip was a wonderful experience! We learned a lot and did experience a little of the Chinese culture.

Les got burned out on Chinese food, so it was two months before I could get him to take me to a Chinese restaurant.

This picture story is a brief summary of some of the things we saw. A more detailed account, with different pictures, is being prepared and will be available the end of September. Just click on China Trip and save this address in your favorites for future reference.

(Les took almost all the pictures on this page. During the trip he generally used the digital camera and I used the 35mm. My pictures need to be scanned and will be used on the future China Trip pages.)

		Shanghai: Everywhere there are many people in China's cities. We visited Buddhist temples in many of the cities. Les says that he doesn't need to see another Buddhist Temple for awhile. Bicycles are the standard mode of transportation. The highways of Shanghai are lined with potted plants to provide greenery.

		Every Buddhist Temple had an incense burner in front of it. People burned incense by the bundle. Just for the fun of it, I bought a bundle. It cost about 30 cents.

The Yangtze River cruise was relaxing, quiet, and peaceful. Beautiful scenery lined the river on both sides. We were disappointed to see the river muddy, dirty, and littered with trash. However, as a main waterway in China, similar to the Mississippi in the U.S., we should have expected it.		The Star Dipper, our cruiser, was spacious and comfortable. A stop and a side trip each day off the ship also helped alay cabin fever. Our cruise director provided interesting information regarding the river and the people living along it.

One tributary of the river, which is not deep enough for navigation by the large cruise ship, contains three lesser gorges. To see these gorges we boarded these small 24-person boats for our half-day excursion. During the trip we saw many other boats and watercraft used by the residents of the river banks.

		The pagodas, towers, and Buddhist Temples are all part of the Chinese culture that we usually associate with China. We stopped to visit various of these on our Yangtze River Cruise.
Yes, frequently we climbed many steps. Sometimes these excursions were made in damp conditions. Below you can see one example of the planks we walked when we came off the ship for our excursions. Note not only the plank we walked but also the hand rail held by two crew members.

		The cobblestone streets that we walked to see a pagoda was frequently lined with shops of various kinds. Many of us stopped to buy items along the way. I bought some bells, silk scarves, t-shirts, many postcards, and Chinese paper cuts. Mostly we took pictures of the items for sale. Since the residents shop here too, there were many food tables with food that we could not identify. Some also sold cooked food.

All along the Yangtze River, our guide pointed out the markers indicating the future water level after the dam project is completed. At the highest point the water will be 175 meters. The Chinese government is relocating 1.3 million people, building apartment complexes above the high water mark. The year 2003 is targeted for having everyone moved. The total project is to be completed by the year 2010. The purpose for the dam is to provide hydro-electric power, which is a growing need in China.
		All meals on the cruise ship were buffet style. There was always a variety of dishes available so that it would be possible to make one's meal of one or another dish. Except for Sichan, I found the food rather bland for my taste. I usually add more seasoning to my Oriental dishes.
Various classes were offered on the ship. Several classes in Tai Chi, a very controlled exercise program which is a favorite of many Chinese. We would see Chinese people doing Tai Chi in the gardens in the early dawn. The chef also taught a cooking class in which we learned to make Chinese dumplings.

We left the ship at Chongquing, a hilly city without bicycles. Here we visited the zoo to see two of the pandas in residence.
		Xi'an, known for the 6,000 terra cotta warriors, had a new airport several miles out of the city, so we had an opportunity to see the countryside. Pictures were not allowed in the area where the warriors are. The state operates factories which make copies of the warriors for sale in the gift shops.
Xi'an has a city wall which now only encircles the inner part of the city.
Construction and renovation projects abound in China. It has been said that 90% of the construction cranes of the world are in China.
		We took a day side trip from Xi'an to visit the 50,000 Buddas at Dazu. All of us in the group enjoyed the bus ride to Dazu through such a wonderful scenic countryside. We didn't take the time to view all 50,000 Buddas.

		Due to the change in airline schedules, we had to compress our sightseeing in Beijing into two days, on of which was the trip to the Great Wall. We also visited a cloisonne factory in which I gained an appreciation of this art.
June 4, 1999 was the 10th year anniversary of the Tiannamen Square incident. We were in Beijing a mere two weeks later. Tiannamen Square was literally boarded and we could not even see inside it.
		This is typical of the scaffolding and renovations we saw in this area. The picture of Mao is the only thing not covered with scaffolding. (Unfortunately, the digital camera was full of pictures, so we didn't get any digital pictures of the Forbidden City.)

If you would like to view all pages of the Summer news-magazine in the sequence listed below, just follow these blue arrows at the bottom of each page.

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