China’s three gorges are among the most spectacularly scenic parts of this fabulous country, and also one of its most controversial because of the changes wrought upon them by the dam completed in 1994. How could the relocation of over a million people, the submersion of valuable archaeological sites and the considerable erosion of the Yangtze river banks justify such a project?
In fact, the idea of a dam for the Yangtze goes back at least as far back as the 1920’s if not beyond. This seminal area of Chinese civilization has always been prone to the worst floods, drowning thousands, and the most risky navigational problems. The idea of adding the world’s greatest hydro-electric generating station to a dam was much more recent and has enabled almost half of the country to benefit from new sources of electricity.
All dam building involves difficult choices between environment and development. All I can say is that our cruise through the gorges still thrilled me with one of the most awesome journeys I’ve ever undertaken and that a whole new generation is provided with a future which more than compensates for the nostalgia an older generation must have felt for the destruction of their ancestral roots.
To get to the start of our gorges adventure we flew from Shanghai to near where the dam is situated at Sandouping in Hubei province.
A fine boat called Yangtze II was called into service and our cabin was most comfortable. Situated on the starboard it also had a nice balcony with wicker chairs and table. It certainly evoked a by-gone charm and was the first proper cruise we had ever been on.
We visited the world’s largest power station generating almost 100 megawatt hours (enough to light up most of Europe!) and enjoyed the view from the monument at the top of the hill dominating the development.
The dam, which is 7661 ft long and 594 feet high, has three main sections with the central part containing sluice gates opened to release the build-up of silt behind them.
We were lucky enough to have our luxury liner go up the recently completed huge set of five locks separating the lower river from the upper stretch above the dam. Having only had experience of English narrow boat canal locks I was completely bowled over by the almost superhuman scale of the dam locks.
For smaller boats there is also a lift, opened in 2016, but our vessel was a little too large for that!
It took us five hours to get up the series of mammoth locks, which also accommodated other boats. I was utterly stunned by the vast scale of contemporary Chinese engineering. Yet I was pleased by the fact that it was Leonardo da Vinci who thought up the modern mitre lock and that the brits developed it extensively in the world’s first industrial revolution.
Having used this extraordinary watery staircase our pleasure liner was able to enter the start of the gorges.
The first gorge is called Xilling and is 66 km long. We entered Xilling in a misty early morning. What a sight to greet us in our half awakened state…
Pictures are worth a million words here so here they are:
True, the risen waters have made the mountain tops appear a little lower but what a sense of rapt sublimity is evoked by the gorge. No wonder generations of Chinese poets have enthused about this part of their country. Yuan Shansong of the Eastern Jin dynasty, for example, wrote “the overlapping cliffs all constitute scenery beyond expression. I had never seen such a scene nor had I any similar experience. I felt mountains and water all had spirits.”
I felt the same too.
Note also the weird ancient coffins wedged in cracks on the gorge sides. No-one quite knows how they managed to get there.
They belong to an ancient Neolithic culture and date back to at least 1000 BC.
Mysteries upon mysteries as indeed so much of China is saturated with.
Mr T, my husband, used to occasionally work in China in the 90s teaching law. He made a point, after one stint in Wuhan, of doing the Yangtze trip before the flooding- a memorable episode in his life.
What I appreciate most about your assessment is the balance you offer. Life was miserable and difficult for millions of Chinese people before modernity- dams, high rise building, electricity. And from the armchair comfort of Westerners who like to point the finger, these human facts are often disregarded.
Thanks once again for an interesting post. Would love to do that trip.
Thanks Francesca for your considered comment which has given me further insight into a China I never experienced.
I was truly apprehensive about taking four days and nights out of our tour for a cruise on a ship called the MS Yangtse 11. As soon as we boarded I was bowled over, it was unlike any other experience aboard a ship that we’d had. There was no rocking, very stable. The staff aboard ship are very kind and courteous; no cash is needed and we pay by plastic card for any purchases at the end of our stay great. Best of all was the daily wake up and general announcements made by our friendly ship’s guide Herbert we grew quite fond of his humour and erudition. There were two restaurants, several shops,an entertainment area, a library a games room mainly majong or cards. I saw those one armed bandits but luckily they were switched off. At the entrance there was the double-sided grand central staircase which led from second to third floor where our bedrooms were situated. We had our very own balcony with table and chairs to en-suite bathroom single beds. Strange thing the single people got double beds and some couples got single beds! Well what an amazing historical journey, what an honour to even have a drink with the Captain of our ship! I truly enjoyed this adventure on the river but I hasten to add that I would not endure a cruise on high seas. Visiting ports seems too hectic and gruelling, this cruise was just fine very educational, relaxing, friendly I would highly recommend this to any novice.