Yangtze River

Overview
The Yangtze River originates from the "roof of the world" - the southwest side of Geladandong peak in the Tanggula mountains on the Tibetan Plateau. It mainly flows through 11 provincial administrative regions including Qinghai Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, Chongqing City, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Jiangxi Province, Anhui Province, Jiangsu Province and Shanghai city. It flows into the East China Sea to the east of Chongming Island in Shanghai, with a total length of 6387 kilometers. Among the world's major rivers, the length is second only to the Nile River in Africa and the Amazon River in South America, ranking third in the world.

How it formed?
The ancient Yangtze River was formed in remote date. Most of the Yangtze River Basin was submerged by sea water. During the Triassic period 200 million years ago, the Yangtze River Basin was still occupied by the ancient Mediterranean Sea (the Tethys Sea). At that time, Tibet, Qinghai, Western and central Yunnan, and Western Guizhou were vast seas. The western part of Hubei Province is a vast Bay protruding eastward from the ancient Mediterranean Sea. The Bay extends to the middle of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River today. The southern half of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is also submerged in the sea floor. The north of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the east of the North China and northwest Eurasia ancient land have higher terrain.

The crustal movement at the end of Triassic 180 million years ago made the land gradually rise. The Kunlun Mountain, kekeoxili mountain, Bayan Har mountain, Hengduan Mountain range, Qinling Mountain, southern part of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River uplifted into land, and the Yunnan Guizhou Plateau began to appear. The basin is formed between Hengduan Mountains, Qinling Mountains and Yunnan Guizhou Plateau. At the same time, Yunmengze, Xichang lake and Dianhu lake are connected in series, from east to west, through Nanjian Strait in western Yunnan, flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, which is opposite to the current direction of the Yangtze River.

Today's Yangtze River was formed during the Jurassic crustal movement 140 million years ago. The Tanggula mountains were formed in the Yangtze River, and the Qinghai Tibet Plateau gradually rose, forming many mountains, deep valleys, depressions and rifts. The Dabie Mountains and Wushan mountains in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are uplifted, the Sichuan Basin is depressed, and the ancient Mediterranean retreats to the West.

By the time of 3 million years ago, the continent dominated by the Himalayas was strongly uplifted, and the western part of the Yangtze River Basin was further elevated. Under the action of topography, the ancient Yangtze River flowing westward began to flow eastward, forming the present Yangtze River.

Weather & Climate
The Yangtze River Basin has a warm climate and abundant rainfall. Due to its vast territory and great changes in topography, there are various climate types in the Yangtze River Basin. Natural disasters such as flood, waterlogging, drought and hail often occur. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River have four distinct seasons, cold in winter and hot in summer. The annual average temperature is 16-18 ?, the highest temperature in summer is about 40 ?, and the lowest temperature in winter is about - 4 ?.

Tourism
The Yangtze River Basin has a vast territory, a long history and tourism resources. The main scenic spots include Jingzhou, Yueyang, Kunming, Guiyang, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, Nanyang, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Suzhou, Yichang, Wuhan, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Anqing, Nanchang, Jiujiang, Changsha, Wuxi and other famous historical and cultural cities, as well as scenic spots such as Emei Mountain, Jiuzhaigou Valley, Three Gorges Dam, Zhangjiajie, Wudangshan Mountain, Jiuhuashan Mountain, Huangshan Mountain, Lushan Mountain, Baotianman, Taihu Lake, Chaohu Lake, Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake are all famous tourist attractions in China.

Yangtze River Cruise
The best way to visit the Yangtze River is to take a cruise. At present, the Yangtze River Cruise fleet includes: Yangtze River Golden Cruise Series, New Century Cruise Line, President Cruise Line, United States Victoria Cruise Line, Changhai Victoria Cruise Line, Huaxia Shennv Series, Oriental Huangjia Cruise Line, and the Ordinary Cruise Line.

Yangtze River Cruise Routes
The Yangtze River routes covered include: Chongqing?Yichang, Wanzhou?Yichang, Fengjie?Yichang, Chongqing?Wuhan, Chongqing?Jingzhou, Chongqing?Nanjing, Chongqing?Shanghai, Chongqing?Liangjiang, Yichang liangba?Yixia, Yichang Night View Cruise, Wuhan Night View Cruise, etc. Most tourists choose the Chongqing as the starting point for the Yangtze River Cruise and Yichang to be the end point.

Major Attractions & Signs along the Yangtze River Cruise

Fengdu Ancient City
Fengdu also known as the "Ghost City" , famous for its statues of ghosts and devils on Mingshan Hill. It is a famous historical and cultural city originated in the Han Dynasty. It is said to be the "ghost country Kyoto" and "the underworld", and has become the destination of human beings. It is not only a legendary ghost city, but also a treasure house of folk culture and art integrating Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. It is one of the most famous cultural landscapes on the golden tourism line of the Yangtze River.

Shibaozhai Village
Known as "The pearl of the Yangtze", it is one of the gems of Chinese architecture. The 18th Century red wooden temple is an architectural delight full of Legends and beautiful stories. Climbing on the top, you can have a panoramic view of the Yangtze River. Inside the pavilion, there are steles and inscriptions of past dynasties of each floor. Visitors can also admire the spectacular Yangtze River from the windows of each floor.

Qutang Gorge
Qutang Gorge is the shortest, narrowest and most dramatic gorge along the Yangtze River. The combination of narrow canyons among high mountains with several switchbacks in only 8 kilometres creates spectacular vistas, and the Qutang Gorge is often considered the most beautiful of all the Three Gorges.

White Emperor City
It is an ancient city overlooking the western end of Qutang Gorge. Many relics housed in the Baidi Temple such as ancient architectures, a stele forest, ancient suspended wooden coffins, painting and calligraphy works by celebrities of different dynasties.

Three Gorges Dam
It is the largest hydroelectric power project in the world. As well as producing electricity, the dam is intended to increase the Yangtze River's shipping capacity and reduce the potential for floods downstream by providing flood storage spaceLater sail through the Three Gorges Dam ship locks.

Xiling Gorge
Xiling Gorge is the longest (41 miles) and the deepest of the Three Gorges. Because of numerous reefs and odd-shaped stones existing in rapid shoals, it is also well known for its danger. Scenery along the Xiling Gorge is spectacular. Some renowned streams, springs, stones and karst caves can be found along this section.

Yangtze River Cruice Travel Tips
1. what to eat & Accommodation
The tickets of the Yangtze River Cruise include accommodation and catering on board (no extra charge). Except that the rooms type, the meals and other services (excluding the presidential suite, which includes VIP services, of course) are all the same.

2. Tickets Price
The Yangtze River routes now covered: Chongqing?Yichang, Wanzhou?Yichang, Fengjie?Yichang, Chongqing?Wuhan, Chongqing?Jingzhou, Chongqing?Nanjing, Chongqing?Shanghai, Chongqing?Liangjiang, Yichang liangba?Yixia line. A total of 9 routes, each route includes ordinary cruise, luxury cruise and other different series of ship types. The cost depends on your choice. 

The reference prices: 1) Super five-star luxury cruise ship is between 2500-5000 RMB; 2) Five-star luxury cruise is about 2000-4000 RMB; 3) Four-star luxury cruise is 1800-2500 RMB. 4) The price of ordinary cruise ships is determined by the number of days and class. For more details, E:[email protected]

3. Do you need pay the Tips?
There is no tipping culture in China. Waiters are forbidden to ask for tips from guests, but normally, tipping guests are very popular with service staff.