Imperial China Day 15
Imperial China
OAT Day 2-11 - Sunday, April 20, 2008 - Cruise Through Xiling Gorge-Explore Three Gorges Dam Site - Yangtze Cruise, China
All: please change the Google map to 'Satellite' or 'Hybrid' – the Gezhouba Dam is the closest to Yichang while the Three Gorges Dam is 40 km upstream.
We woke up at 7:15 without an alarm or wake up call. By the time we took our showers and got ready to face the river, the ship was also coming alive.
We began our cruise of the Yangtze Rive at 7:50 AM and saw barges filled with coal, cargo, and a few other cruise ships. Out on the observation deck, we took photos, got some semi-fresh air, and watched the shore line pass by. It was foggy and cool, about 63 degrees and 86% humidity.
After our buffet breakfast we went back on to the deck. Passing through the eastern mouth of the first gorge, the Xiling Gorge, our River Guide Daniel gave us a running commentary. There were several black eagles soaring through the canyons.
Docking next to 3 other ships we walked through them and on to the pier of San Dou Ping. Our local guide, Vivi introduced herself and reviewed a few of the Chinese phrases we had learned. She gave us an overview of the 2 hour tour we would take of the Three Gorges Dam Project.
Since much of the construction has been completed since the origin of the project in 1993, many laborers have moved away to other projects. The housing built for them will be converted to housing for the local people.
Our driver took us over the Xiling Bridge and we traveled to the welcome area where we had to go through a cursory security check. We left our belongings on the bus, walked through a scanner, and then got back on the bus. Matt told us the process was to give more people jobs here in the community!
Continuing on the dam tour, we were able to stop along the road way for a brief photo opportunity. We were not able to get out but our driver let us open the windows and I could shoot through the open door of the bus. We had great views of the 5 stage ship locks. There are two sets of locks, one for traveling upstream and one for the downstream traffic.
Our first view of the dam was breathtaking. It is now the world’s largest, second place falling to Brazil’s Itaipu that we visited in December - Hoover Dam in the USA is the highest. There are 26 turbines, and it is partially online, already serving a few of China’s largest cities.
We had several stops on the tour and could get out, listen to Vivi tell us more details about the dam, and then explore on our own. We went to the Visitor’s Center to see a huge model of the whole project. Our last adventure was climbing the Observation Tower where I took several panoramas and we could see a 360 degree view of the expansive project.
Returning to the ship at 11:45, we left the port and continued our trip up the river and under the famous Xiling Bridge that we had seen earlier in the morning. During our light buffet lunch we started to enter the first of the five locks.
Daniel gave a PowerPoint lecture on the River and the Three Gorges Dam Project at 1:30 PM. As he gave us even more facts about the dam, we continued our passage through the locks. It took 3 hours to make our way through the 4 locks that are open; the fifth will open when the river is at its maximum depth.
Flowing eastward for 3,900 miles from snow-covered mountains in southwest China to the East China Sea near Shanghai, the Yangtze is the world’s third longest river.
We also cruised past tranquil country sides with terraced orange groves and small villages, where life goes on as it has for centuries but it has been made more difficult because to “progress” invading the serene mountainsides.
Although a dam was proposed as long ago as 1919 by Sun Yat-Sen, the present site was selected by an American team of engineers in the early 1940s. The project gained momentum in the 1980s and began in earnest in 1990.
In 1997, the cofferdam was completed and the main structure begun. When it is completed in 2009, this will be the world's largest dam, measuring 606 feet high and 6,500 feet long.
The dam will also have two five-stage locks to raise and lower ships to the different river levels. Each lock in the five stages will be 65 feet high and 910 feet long.
This massive project has pitted China's economic interests against the concerns of historic preservationists and environmentalists worldwide. In addition to flooding some of the world's most spectacular scenic areas and rich ecosystems to a depth of 325 feet, the waters will submerge some 35 notable historic sites (some of which will be relocated).
The 632 square miles of inundated terrain will include 13 cities, 140 towns, 1,352 villages, 657 factories, and 66,000 acres of cultivated land. Approximately 1.3 million people will be relocated to new towns now being constructed above the high water mark.
The afternoon was spent on the decks, going from one photo opportunity to the next. Our voyage gave us a look at China old and new in landscapes of incredible beauty. We saw many relocation cities, where tombs, battle sites, and thousand-year-old cities had to be rebuilt on higher ground.
Before dinner tonight, we went to a special welcome reception with our vessel's captain. Dinner was Chinese Family style, served at our assigned tables. Many chose to attend the Ship’s Costume Show, but we finished the journal and turned in at 9:30 for our 6:00 early morning to Wushan.
Accommodations: Victoria Rose - - - Meal: B, L, D
Picture 1 - Market in San Dou Ping
Picture 2 - Three Gorges Dam - HDR
Picture 3 - Three Gorges Dam
Picture 4 - Last Lock
Picture 5 - Christof and Daniel (Cruise Director & River Guide)
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Comments
Post a Comment!sounds like you guys had a dam good time!
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