We emerged from the Wu gorge to discover the new town of Wushan on the northern bank of the Yangtze. The town sits at the confluence of the Daning River with the Yangtze. After the construction of the Three Gorges Dam the region was flooded and the oldtown submerged. The new town now towers on the hills above the river and is a major tourist centre.
The Daning River winds tis way for some 20 miles through the area known as the Lesser Three Gorges comprising the Dragon Gate Gorge, theMisty Gorge and the Emerald Gorge. Although these are not as deep (Remembers they are filled with about120metres of water!) or spectacular as they once were they are still stunningly beautiful, especially on a sunny morning such as we were experiencing.
We joined a smaller boat and wee soon sailing past thewaterfront of Wushan viewing high on the hill the dome of a Roman Catholic Church – one of one a few in China – and a vast new hotel complex to accommodate the thousands of tourists both foreign and Chinese who now take to the many Yangtze cruise ships like the Viking Emerald. We sailed under the impressive Rainbow Bridge – again a replacement for the original. Our first stop was to register the boat at the equivalent of a toll at the entry to the Daning River; the authorities are keen to record how many visitors enter the Lesser Three Gorges.
Sheer cliffs and steep mountains rise to create scenicpanoramas on both banks of the river intermingled with stretches of lush, terraced fields containing a variety of crops that are cultivated the wholeyear round – including tea on some of he sunnier southern banks. May new modern dwellings have been constructed for the farmers who lost their homes as a result of the flooding. The many smaller creeks and side tributaries are lined with huge square fishing nets that are draped into the water from great booms.
Every so often we were past by small, fast boat taxis whisking their way between Wushan and the upper reaches of the Daning river – an indication of the increasing wealth of the local population. Slower longer covered boats carried the less wealthy including chickens, pigs and produce for sale in Wushan.
The numerous caves along the cliffs were full of stalagmites and stalactites dripping water form the steep limestone cliffs on the emerald green water. We had hoped to see some monkeys this morning but had to be content with a few domesticated gates making their way along the craggy edges of the gorges.
The misty Gorge was also home to some ‘hanging coffins’ of the Ba people but more abut that in another next posting.
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