Chongqing Waterway
3 Gorges Dam
River travel on the Yangtze just got a boost from the completion of the 3 Gorges Dam in 2008. Before that, big ships could pass, but now there is 7 times more shipping than there was before the dam was built. Before the dam was built, the Three Gorges site handled about 18 million tons of freight. Since the dam was built, the freight capacity of the river increased six times and the cost of shipping was reduced by 25 percent. At present, locks raise and lower ships from the artificial lake behind the dam, and the trip through the locks takes about four hours. But a new ship lift is being built that can handle ships up to 3,000 tons. The vertical distance traveled will be about 113 meters, and it is expected that ships will pass through the ship lift in less than an hour.
3 Gorges Scenery
Many people think that the scenery of the Three Gorges was ruined by the dam, but some people who travel up the river and lake say that the view is better from a boat than it was before the dam was built because the walls of the valley used to block the view, but now you can see much more of the mountains and the region on the lake. A trip from Wuhan to Chongqing or Sichuan takes about 5 or 6 days. On a 4 or 5 star cruise ship, you can relax and enjoy the food and the meals.
Chongqing Passenger Dock
Chongqing is the biggest inland river port in western China. In the past, most people went to and from eastern China on the Yangtze River. The Chongqing Passenger Dock (Chongqing Chaotianmen Dock) is located in Chaotianmen at the junction of the Yangtze River and the Jialing River. It's the best starting point for a Three Gorges cruise by ship.
If travelers want to enjoy the sights along the Yangtze River and the Three Gorges by ship, they first must choose a cruise ship. There are three categories of passenger ships: the foreign tourist boat, the domestic tourist boat, and the common passenger boat. The foreign tourist boats are graded from one-star to five-star. To enjoy your time, relax and have good meals, it is suggested you sail on a four or five star river cruiser.
