That being said though, it didn't detract from the pleasure of the cruise though. The Three Gorges area of the Yangtze River really is the most beautiful spot in terms of the scenery. Today we were sailing along a part of the river that was much wider and much more developed. And I'm sorry to say that whereas the haze yesterday probably was mostly fog and cloud caused by weather, today's haze is probably equal parts weather and pollution due to all the development and industry along the river.
After a couple of hours of sailing we arrived at the spot for our shore excursion this morning - at Fengdu.
Located on the Ming Mountain on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, Fengdu is known to most Chinese as the 'Ghost City'. Having nearly two thousand years' history, the Ghost City combines the cultures of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism with the mystique of ghosts. Fengdu got its name as the Ghost City in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD). Two officials from the imperial court, Yin Changsheng and Wang Fangping, were bored with the political life in the court and decided to come to Ming Mountain to practice Taoist teachings. Through self-cultivation they became immortals. Combining their surnames produces the term "Yinwang" meaning the "king of hell", and it was at this time that the people began to call Fengdu the "Ghost City". Later, during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), a stupendous temple was erected on Ming Mountain depicting life in hell. It displays demonic images and torture devices and reflects the notion that good people will be treated well in the afterlife and that bad people will be punished by going to hell.
Until the 1950s and 1960s, river boats would often anchor in midstream rather than moor close to Fengdu's banks for fear of ghosts. Ghosts flying out of the underworld and attaching themselves to the stern of ships was another very real fear for many boat captains. Our captain was brave enough to come close to the shore, and I was off to explore the "Ghost City".
Remembering that this area was built as an entire community, with many buildings, temples, shrines and statues, I won't go into detail about all of them. I was there for nearly three hours and every time I turned another corner there was something else, fascinating, to look at. And what was really amazing is to remember that some of the relics have a history of about 1,900 years.
Of course there was a little market area set up that tourists had to pass through --- I thought these might be a good snack for later in the day.
Back on the Victoria Jenna and this afternoon some of the crew members were showcasing their visual art talents.
The snuff bottle originated at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912). The earliest artist was named Ganhen, who first painted pictures inside the snuff bottle - the first snuff bottle was said to have been painted in 1816. Although snuff bottles are not native to China (they were introduced from the West by a Jesuit priest who was working in Beijing in the early 17th century), the art of interior painting in snuff bottles was born and developed in China and is unique to the country.
And another young crew member was working on incredibly intricate embroidery.
Knowing that today was my last day on this wonderful cruise I decided to take a few more photos.
Just a bit of mud along the shoreline
Of course there was a little market area set up that tourists had to pass through --- I thought these might be a good snack for later in the day.
Back on the Victoria Jenna and this afternoon some of the crew members were showcasing their visual art talents.
The snuff bottle originated at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912). The earliest artist was named Ganhen, who first painted pictures inside the snuff bottle - the first snuff bottle was said to have been painted in 1816. Although snuff bottles are not native to China (they were introduced from the West by a Jesuit priest who was working in Beijing in the early 17th century), the art of interior painting in snuff bottles was born and developed in China and is unique to the country.
And another young crew member was working on incredibly intricate embroidery.
Knowing that today was my last day on this wonderful cruise I decided to take a few more photos.
As I've said, the scenery now is very different from that in the Three Gorges area but in its own way still quite impressive. The Yangtze is flanked with metallurgical, power, chemical, auto, building materials and machinery industrial belts and high-tech development zones. It is playing an increasingly crucial role in the river valley's economic growth and has become a vital link for international shipping to the inland provinces. The river is a major transportation artery for China, connecting the interior with the coast. The Yangtze River is one of the world's busiest waterways. Traffic includes commercial traffic transporting bulk goods such as coal as well as manufactured goods and passengers. The Yangtze River handles over 80% of China's river freight, with over 1.5 billion tons of cargo being transported on the river every year.
While we were cruising this afternoon we went by the city of Fuling. Fuling is the location of former U.S. Peace Corps teacher Peter Hessler's best-selling memoir River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. When Peter lived in Fuling, from 1996-1998, the population was approx. 200 000, and now Fuling's population is nearly 1.1 million!
And late afternoon the sun attempted to make a rare appearance. I think all the passengers flocked to the observation deck to take photos!
Tonight's dinner, our last aboard the Victoria Jenna, was with the Captain and several crew members. A time for us to thank them for a very memorable few days.
While we were cruising this afternoon we went by the city of Fuling. Fuling is the location of former U.S. Peace Corps teacher Peter Hessler's best-selling memoir River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. When Peter lived in Fuling, from 1996-1998, the population was approx. 200 000, and now Fuling's population is nearly 1.1 million!
And late afternoon the sun attempted to make a rare appearance. I think all the passengers flocked to the observation deck to take photos!
Tonight's dinner, our last aboard the Victoria Jenna, was with the Captain and several crew members. A time for us to thank them for a very memorable few days.
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