One of the most popular activities in China is a Yangtze River cruise. Although some cruises start or end at Shanghai the most common cruise is from Yichang to Chongqing. Upstream starts from Yichang and downstream from Chongqing.

There are a number of different cruise companies that operate this sector with the season running from mid March to late November. The main cruise companies are Victoria Cruises, President and Century Star and some of these offer cruises in combination with visits to other major tourist places such as Xian, Kunming and Beijing.

Although most passengers fly in (or come by bus or train) to start their cruises it is worthwhile to spend a day or so at each end port – Yichang and Chongqing. Read the rest of this entry »

For many years a cruise on the Yangtze River has been a highlight of any tour of China.

The most popular section of the river has always been through the narrow gorges between Yichang and Chongqing which provided dramatic scenery, towering cliffs above the valley floor, small fishing villages and often difficult conditions for the captain at the helm.

In 1994 construction began on the controversial Three Gorges Dam project which, when completed in 2003, raised the river level about 110 metres. It submerged villages and historical and archaeological sites, resulted in the relocation of people to new villages and towns and is controversial for many environmental reasons.

The Three Gorges Dam has created a 600km long reservoir stretching back to Chongqing and changed the face of many aspects of the cruises that are immensely popular with tourists from all round the world.

I joined a 5 day/4 night cruise upstream from Yichang to Chongqing (a distance of 660km) on the Victoria Lianna, one of seven similar ships of the US based Victoria Cruise Line. The ship holds a maximum of 214 passengers and my cruise had about 150 passengers on board, about two thirds Chinese and the rest from western countries including Australia. A number of other companies also offer cruises – some are longer and go on to Shanghai at the mouth of the Yangtze.

Victoria Lianna

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After Beijing and Shanghai the southern city of Guangzhou is probably the best known city in China. Situated in the northern part of the Pearl River delta, the city is the capital of Guangdong Province and one of the country’s best-known historic and cultural cities as well as a large industrial and commercial centre and port. It is close to Hong Kong and Macau which makes it an easy city to visit.

After the incredible traffic and frantic bustle of Beijing and Shanghai I found Guangzhou (for years known to westerners as Canton) relatively relaxed and slower paced. Its location is subtropical and the weather can get very humid in summer but this means that everything is green and flowers bloom throughout the year.

Due to its location close to the South China Sea it has for centuries been a major foreign trade centre. The Portuguese arrived in the early 16th century and British merchants in the 17th century. The latter encouraged the use of opium which, when outlawed by the Chinese authorities led to the famous opium wars in 1839. This long exposure to outside contact has made Guangzhou a very cosmopolitan city.

Getting round the city to see the major sights is easy. Taxis are inexpensive and the metro system is quick, efficient and easy to use. Until a couple of years ago there were only two lines but after being awarded the Asian Games in 2010 the city rapidly expanded the network to seven lines. There is even a metro line out to Baiyun International Airport on the edge of the city and a ride from there on the metro is only about $2 to the centre of the city – a cab costs about $22. Read the rest of this entry »

At 2.28pm on 12 May 2008 a 8.0 Richter scale earthquake caused massive damage in the Tibetan/Qiang ethnic area of Sichuan province to the north and west of the capital city Chengdu in western China. Buildings collapsed, hillsides fell into valleys and the death toll from the quake was staggering.

TV coverage of the devastation focussed on two specific images; the collapse of a junior high school at Yinxin and the fall of a huge hillside boulder onto a primary school at Beichuan and the many deaths that these caused. However the loss of life was very large throughout the area affected.

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In the northern part of Sichuan province the Aba prefecture with its Tibetan heritage is home to some of the best-known scenery within China. This ranges from the beautiful valleys of the Jiuzhai Valley National Park and the stunning lakes of Huanglong to the wild prairie grassland country of Hongyuan-Ruoergai.

For Chinese tourists the Jiuzhai Valley and the nearby mountainous area of Huanglong are a mecca drawing thousands of visitors daily especially during the key season from April to November. To cater for these large numbers (up to 10,000 to 12,000 a day) the organisation is immaculate with tourists being moved around by fleets of buses after paying the entrance fee of 220 yuan (about $30). Incredibly I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the numbers although at certain key vantage points it was hard to get a clear view of the sights through the milling crowds. Read the rest of this entry »

The western Chinese province of Sichuan is a most attractive destination for visitors from Australia offering a variety of attractions, wonderful scenery, and spicy Sichuan cuisine to tempt the palate.

Many different ethnic groups live within its borders including Tibetan and Qiang people with their colourful traditional costumes and use of dance and musical instruments in their festivals. Embroidery is a favourite pastime of women, young and old, and they produce marvellous articles.

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, is booming with a rapidly rising population drawn to the city by its new and developing industries. With over 12 million people Chengdu is becoming one of the larger cities in China reflecting a major move by the authorities to boost the development of the western part of the country (nearby Chongqing has over 33 million people) as an industrial hub.

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The cute white face with large black-ringed eyes peeps coyly between the branches of a tree. Nearby I can see the body of a large animal balanced precariously on another branch – it is fast asleep. Cameras click and children talk excitedly as this is their first glimpse of a Giant Panda.

One of the best known and loved attractions in China is undoubtedly the Giant Pandas.

There are only a couple of thousand Giant Pandas with their distinctive black and white coloring left in the world, about half of them in the wild in Sichuan province in central western China and the rest in captivity in zoos and research facilities in China and various other countries, including two, Wang Wang and Funi, at the Adelaide Zoo. Read the rest of this entry »

Every time I visit Shanghai I am drawn to The Bund, one of the most recognisable symbols of this vibrant city.

For the financial capital of booming China with its towering office blocks and frenetic pace, the Bund along the Huangpu River represents an oasis of peace and calm where you can see ordinary residents relaxing, perhaps indulging in a little tai chi, shadow boxing or even a colourful fan dance, while wide eyed visitors from the outer provinces of China have themselves photographed as they wander along the promenade in their groups.

Back in the late 1840s the first British companies set up offices along the banks of the muddy river and The Bund was created – the word deriving from an Anglo-Indian word for embankment along a muddy waterfront. As Shanghai developed as a city of trade The Bund became the centre of elegance with many fine buildings being constructed on the western side of the Bund representing many styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque Classic and Renaissance.

Although many new buildings have sprung up over the years, most of the historic buildings still remain although their use may have changed. Many date from the 1930s after the Nanjing Treaty concluded the First Opium War and Shanghai as one of the ‘treaty ports’ attained an international reputation as the most cosmopolitan, exciting and outrageous city in Asia, the ‘Paris of the East’. It is certainly like that today. Read the rest of this entry »