Overview
Transit Sichuan to Chongqing through cultural sights and Yangtze Cruise
Today’s Sichuan and Chongqing in southwest China are the core areas of ancient Bashu cultures, one of humanity’s earliest civilizations dating back some 25,000 years ago. Beginning from Shang Dynasty (17th century BC to 11th century BC), Shu (mainly refers to today Chengdu) and Ba (today Chongqing City) emerged as cultural and administrative centers where two thriving kingdoms were established. Stone tools and fossils unearthed in the Yangtze River valley show that our upright ancestors lived this region two million years ago; The great amount excavations from Sanxingdui and Jinsha ruins present the existence of unique local civilization, which still remains the influences and has an important position among China’s splendid cultures. The famous Yangtze River and its tributaries flows through the Sichuan basin and Chongqing area, and is thus upstream of eastern China. The abundant water resources make the basin so fertile, and is also believed the paramount condition to create the brilliant Bashu civilization. Although Chongqing split from Sichuan Province and becomes a municipality since 1997, the historical and cultural relationships of two places could not be separated. The dialect, food, customs and arts are quite similarly but distinctively from other parts of China. The tour starts in Chengdu, an old capital city of Shu Kingdom, then follows one of the Yangtze’s major tributaries of Minjiang River to southern part of Sichuan, from where the trip enters into Chongqing and ends at Yichang via awe-inspiring Three Gorges cruise. The tour will take on many fascinated cultural heritages, historical sites, archaeological discoveries, local customs and highlights along Yangtze River valley, which will give the in-depth explorations for Sichuan basin and Chongqing.
Outline Itinerary
Day 01 Arrival Chengdu & City Sightseeing
Day 02 Giant Panda & Jinsha Museum (B)
Day 03 Zigong via Leshan Giant Buddha (B)
Day 04 Zigong Visits & Drive to Dazu (B)
Day 05 Dazu Grotto Carvings & Onboard Yangtze Cruise (B)
Day 06 Yangtze Cruise by Passing Ghost City Fengdu (B)
Day 07 Yangtze Cruise by Passing Shennong Stream (B)
Day 08 Yichang Arrive via Three Gorges Dam & Departure (B)
Get Inspired
https://plateautours.com/destinations/sichuan-kham/sichuan-three-gorges-tour#sigProId5fb7fffbef
Detail Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival Chengdu & City Sightseeing
Upon arrive at Chengdu and transfer to your hotel. Get refreshment in the hotel, we step out for the Wide and Narrow alleys (Kuan Zhai Xiangzi), two ancient streets preserved from the old architectures in Ming and Qing dynasties in Chengdu. In the evening time, enjoy the magical Sichuan Opera and Face Changing Show, the ancient Chinese dramatic art.
Day 02: Giant Panda & Jinsha Museum (B)
Morning visit Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base and have a look of cute pandas. Established in 1987, the base has more than 80 Giant Pandas living here. In the afternoon, visit Jinsha Relic Museum, learn about the civilizations and cultures of the ancient Shu Kingdom existed 3,000 years ago.
Day 03: Zigong via Leshan Giant Buddha (B)
Leave Chengdu this morning for Zigong. On the route, stop in Leshan and visit Giant Buddha, the world’s largest stone Buddha, overwhelming 71m in height. You can either walk down to the foot of Giant Buddha and then hike up to the summit, or take a short time cruise to have a front panorama. Zigong, situated at the upstream of Yangtze River, once was an important center of Chinese salt production for almost 2000 years.
Day 04: Zigong Visits & Drive to Dazu (B)
Morning visit the Dinosaur Museum, the Asia’s first dinosaur’s museum, has one of the world’s largest concentrations of dinosaur fossils. Later visit Salt Industry History Museum that tells the history of salt mining, salt well drilling and the traditional salt making techniques in Sichuan since 10th century. Then we visit the nearby 1001m-deep artesian salt well, the world’s deepest well built in 1835. Afterwards, we drive to Dazu, the prominent Buddhist cave site is located this foothill city.
Day 05: Dazu Grotto Carvings & Onboard Yangtze Cruise (B)
Morning we visit the exquisite rock carvings of Dazu. Designated as the World Heritage site by UNESCO, Dazu grotto art is one of China’s four extraordinary Buddhist cave sculpture sites, along with those at Dunhuang, Luoyang and Datong. Later, we drive 125km southeast to Chongqing, the China’s fourth municipality. Rest time free stroll in Ciqikou old town until onboard the Yangtze cruise. In the evening, check-in for the following 3 days downstream Yangtze River cruise.
Day 06: Yangtze Cruise by Passing Ghost City Fengdu (B)
The gushing 6,380km Yangtze (Chang Jiang) is the mightiest river in China and the world’s third longest river. The most impressive section of the Yangtze is the Three Gorges of Qutang, Wu and Xiling, a distance of around 200km. The ship today sails through Fengdu town – the “City of Ghost”. It is said here is the place that the human’s soul will return back after someone passed away. You will have hours shore excursion to this quirky and long history town, get the insight of China’s ghost culture, afterwards, a formal welcome banquet follows.
Day 07: Yangtze Cruise by Passing Shennong Stream (B)
The ship navigates via the spectacular Qutang Gorge (8km) and Wu Gorge (44km), enjoy nature’s grandeur while sailing through them. The pretty narrow gorges of Shennong Stream thereafter could be explored onshore by taking a small vessel. Originating in the southern slopes of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, the crystal clear river twists and turns 60 kilometers through forested mountains before emptying into the mighty Yangtze.
Day 08: Yichang Arrive via Three Gorges Dam & Departure (B)
The ship enters into Xiling Gorge (66km) section and visit the magnificent Three Gorge Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam with a reservoir stretching hundreds of kilometers upstream. The cruiser docks at Yichang, a transportation point for either downstream or upstream sailing through the Three Gorges. Visit Museum of the Chinese Sturgeon in Yichang. Built in 1982, the Museum is part of the Chinese Sturgeon Institution of China which is using artificial breeding techniques to try to preserve this endangered species includes 27 species that still exist in the world. Later on drive to the airport for exist flight to Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of China.
Experiences & Activities
- Visit the huge Leshan Giant Buddha, the world’s largest Buddha statue
- Admire exquisite grotto carvings in Dazu, a UNESCO world heritage site
- Cruising the Yangtze through Three Gorges on China’s mightiest river
- Surprised for Dinosaur Museum & ancient salt mining in Zigong
- Close view the alive giant pandas in its hometown Sichuan
