Yangtze River Cruise and the Essence of Chongqing Tour

At the first day you will arrive to the Chongqing and all that is predicted is settling in to the hotel. The rest of the day is free for any kind of the activity.

Dazu Rock Carvings

The only stop of the day is a visit to the magnificent Dazu Grottoes. This place is over 80 kilometres far from the city but it is more than worthy of visiting it. Namely, there are some 50,000 stone statues in this place, carved in the stone of several mountains that surround the area. Some of these statues are over 1 millennium old since all of them were carved out between the Tang Dynasty and Qing Dynasty period. There is hardly a place on this earth that is even remotely similar to this one. Meals: Breakfast and a Chinese Lunch

The daily itinerary begins with a visit to the Chongqing Zoo. This is a rather specific zoo since some very rare species can be seen there. Besides tigers and Golden hair monkeys, there are also both Giant and Red Pandas together with their cubs. The place is rather big and it covers some 45 hectares. This and the peace and quiet make this place ideal for Thai chi exercises and many of the local folks are coming here to practice it. After the zoo, the tour goes to the Goose Neck Park. This place is pretty large and it is very peaceful and pleasing to the eye. There is an incredibly long painting of the Yangtze River in this place and it is surrounded with some old and very beautiful buildings that were once used as embassies. Many of the local people seek refuge in this park from the noise and rush of everyday living. The last stop of the day is Ciqikou Old Town. This place kept the charms of the ages past and it still looks pretty much as centuries ago. Naturally, the buildings are restored and not the original ones but it is still a very pleasant place that you simply must see. Narrow streets and wooden houses are quite charming and the place is quite lively and nice. You can also shop for souvenirs here. Finally, before the embarkation to a cruise ship, there is a lunch waiting for you at the local Restaurant. After this the embarkation starts at 05:00 PM. Keep in mind that the dinner is not included in this day’s itinerary.

--Shibaozhai, literally means Stone Treasure Fortress, Located in Zhong County, it was first built in Qing Dynasty in 1750. Shibaozhai is one historic site that will look much different in 2009. The wooden architecture stands on the riverside. It is built by catch upon a rectangular rock with sheer cliffs with a height of 56 meters and 12 stories. And every floor of the wooden structure contains interesting artifacts. Each of the 12 floors of Shibaozhai is dedicated to a famous general of the Three Kingdoms period (220-265AD), a local scholar or a renowned Chinese poet.

--Taichi exercise.
Passes through the 1st gorge--Qutang Gorge.
Passes through the 2cd gorge---Wu Gorge.
Shore excursion to Shennong Stream(1:30pm-5:30pm). You have the option of visiting White Emperor City(RMB290 per person).
Crew's Performance.
Sails through the 5-steps Ship locks.
Shennong Stream is another tributary of the Yangtze River, and its fast-flowing, crystal clear water runs southwards through deep gorges. The stream races past large and small karst caves, flocks of swallows, sheer cliffs, deep gorges, waterfalls, three-colored springs, rapids, the ancient plank path, a suspended coffin in the cliff, groups of ancient tombs and marvelous karst formations.

- Half Day Bangkok City Temple Tour: Breakfast at hotel and then sightseeing tour to visit: At first visit to Wat Traimit, the Temple of the Golden Buddha, the temple is famous for its 900-years old five-and-a-half-ton solid gold image, and then continue to visit Wat Arun, perhaps better known as the Temple of the Dawn, is one of the best known landmarks and one of the most published images of Bangkok. After that, visit to Wat Po, the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok, as well as the largest single Buddha image: the Reclining Buddha (Phra Buddhasaiyas), also known as Wat Phra Chetuphon or The Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The temple is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage Reclining Buddha. After this place we back to the hotel and free at leisure or go shopping in the afternoon.
--Shore excursion to The Three Gorges Dam Site. Arrive in Yichang at 1:00pm.
Three Gorges Dam, the largest water conservancy project ever undertaken by man and it has been a dream for several generations of Chinese people. The construction of the dam formally began in 1994. The body of the dam was completed in 2003, and the whole construction has been completed in 2009. It will be 2,335 meters long, 185 meters high, 18 meters wide on the top and 130 meters wide at the bottom. The tourists can get access to the top of the dam and enjoy different kinds of photo opportunities.