China
by Ray & Cecile Schutter- October 2002

There’s many a story of the misty gorges of the Yangtze River of China, and I have a version too. Ray and I decided it was time to see what changes have been happening in China, and particularly to understand what changes would be as a result of the very controversial Sandapong Dam on the river.

China had not been a big desire of mine to visit, but I was in for the greatest surprise. This was a wonderful trip, and my eyes opened wide as I learned that China is a very progressive country with warm and friendly people all wanting to learn more from our western culture. Commercialism and entrepreneurialism is strong in the hearts of the Chinese.

We began our trip in Shanghai, a beautiful city, growing to be the next Hong Kong. After touring for the day, we explored the old city at night. This was also our first chance of shopping and we had a terrific time. The Chinese of course want to sell you every trinket you never needed, but they enjoy the art of bartering and take their time. Particularly enjoyable is shopping for tea, as there are hundreds of varieties and you partake in the tea ceremony to try out what you may find interesting. My particular favorite was the jasmine, not just because of the aroma, but it "blooms" into a beautiful "flower" that would make an impressive table decoration as well. An added highlight of Shanghai was the Children’s Palace, a delightful school to train small kids in fine arts. The kids aggressively wanted to practice their English.

Our five days on the Yangtze River was on board the Victoria I. The river cruise boats are a maximum of 4,000 tons, about 120 passengers. When you make the decision to visit China, a large portion of the cost is the river cruise. If you go to far budget, you get what you pay for. There are boats that are better suited to the Chinese standards than American tastes. The average trip will include one of the Victoria Cruise Line ships, but don’t be fooled to think you are stepping aboard a luxury liner. They do have their limits, some are prettier than others, but they are comfortable and appropriate for the average traveler. If you prefer more luxury, the boats of Abercrombie and Kent would be a better choice.

We were traveling in October, the best time of the year to be in China, but remember, this is my story of the "mystical Yangtze"?? That "misty look" is HAZE. There are still many coal factories along the river and personally, I don’t think it would be a great loose that the dam floods them out and produces hydroelectric power. It was warm enough for shorts and T-shirts, but be prepared for all kinds of weather. When we finally finished our total trip in Beijing, the day to the Great Wall was bitterly cold.

The key points of the trip on the Yangtze is to see the famous Three Gorges and the Sandapong Dam which is located downstream of the gorges. Along the river side, markers are in place to see how high the river will rise in 2003, 135 meters above sea level, and by the finish of the project in 2009, 175 meters. The cities along the river have many new high rise apartments, higher up the mountains, to relocate the many people whose homes will be flooded out. These new homes are free, and to many, better than then they ever had. The old cities are dirty and crowded. By no means will the Three Gorges be gone, as many naysayers of the dam project lead you to believe. The dam itself is an incredible work of engineering and a tourist site in its’ own. There are plans for an international airport, and possibly resort hotels on the reservoir. We westerners may object to all this development, but let’s mind our own business and let the Chinese grow in this new century!

Partway through the Three Gorges are the Three Lesser Gorges along the Danning River. To explore this river, we boarded sampans (don’t get any romantic notions, they’re motorized and metal-hulled, not bamboo). And there are hundreds of them to take the tourists along the river. The Danning is very shallow and we were scraped the bottom constantly. The trip upstream is long due to the strong current, but the return trip takes half the time.

I try to see the Gorges through the eyes of all those romantic travelers, seeing the mythical beings coaxed in the rocks, but the only dragon I saw was the colorful stream of umbrellas and tables, snaking up the mountainside, and the vendors selling every trinket you forgot to buy in Shanghai. This was a wonderful sight and something I had never read or heard of in any guide book. I tell you, communism may be the government, but it is not in practice !! It’s all about making money now!!

This part of the Yangtze will be flooded out, but apparently there are more gorges that are currently inaccessible that will now become new territory for visitors.

We disembarked in Chungking, but only stayed in the city for a brief city tour and lunch before heading for the airport for our flight to Xi’an.. Xi’an is the home of the Terracotta Warriors Museum and it is most interesting. I suggest, if you do plan to visit, take a shorter trip to visit the Forbidden Gardens, here is Houston. They are location just off the Grand Parkway and I-10, before you get to Katy. This short educational tour will give you a very good overall of the Qin Dynasty and help you better understand the sites you are seeing in China.

We had chosen Pacific Bestours as our group tour and everything went so smooth. It’s really a delight that someone else looks after everything from your luggage, to hotel and airport check ins. Just hang out, enjoy visiting with the other tour members, and visiting all the sights. China is progressive, but I think it would still be tiresome to travel independently. The escorted tours provide you with a guide the entire time, so you always have someone to answer your questions and give you a comprehensive explanation of sights that you would not normally find in a guide book. There are many companies providing this service, so take a look at the details and you will find one that suits your needs. Look for how much personal time you have and what meals are included. The less meals, means more time on your own.

Definitely add China to your list of places to visit. China will look very impressive to the world during the Olympic Games of 2008 and tourism will be high. Go before and beat the crowds!

 Trips can be arranged by West University Travel, 3622 University Blvd, Houston, TX 77005. 713-665-4767. Ask for Ray or Cecile Schutter.