Another day on the Yangtze River and this time a 6.45am meet up on the top deck of the boat to witness our passing through the Wu Gorge.

Wu Gorge, sometimes called the Great Gorge is the second gorge of the Three Gorges system. Formed by the Wu River it stretches 45 km from Wushan to Guandukou.

Despite being only 7am the temperature out on the deck was blistering and we were warned that it was predicted to hit 42c later in the day.

After breakfast we left our boat for an excursion to witness the Lesser Three Gorges that stretch 20 miles down the Daning River, which is one of the tributaries of the Yangtze River.

As the river narrows we picked up a smaller touring boat, to take in the magnificent sheer cliffs on either side.

As the boat made its way down the Daning River, you couldn’t help but be impressed with the sheer beauty this area displays.

In addition to the cliffs covered with lush, green vegetation, we got to watch some of the local wildlife including native monkeys along with Mandarin ducks.

High above the cliffs are remnants of tribes that occupied the Daning River area, in the form of suspended boat coffins. Archaeologists have unearthed findings including armour, swords and other artefact’s dating back to the Bronze Age.

Floating down the Daning River provided an amazing opportunity to view nature at its finest whilst learning about the rich culture of ancient China.

The Lesser Three Gorges consists of Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge and Dicui Gorge. It is referred to by the Chinese as the “Peculiar Gorge under Heaven” with its gorgeous and elegant natural landscapes. 

Also the Chinese have taken the opportunity to create numerous bridge links across the Yankze since the dam was constructed over the last decade. As the water levels have risen, so the need for higher newer modern bridges. With the area famed for its fruit oranges, the same coloured orange has been used in the painting of one of the larger bridges.

The scale of the gorges cannot be underestimated, they are huge, but would have been even larger prior to the creation of the dam, when the water levels were over 60m shallower.

Dicui Gorge is the longest, deepest and deemed the most elegant of the three, with a complete length of about 20km from Shuanglong to Tujiaba. In Dicui Gorge, we got to see multiple peaks with steep cliffs, lush forests with waterfalls high up above.

Some of the cliff faces were so steep and sheer that they appeared to have been cut like cheese.

Added to this the colouring of the rocks made them appear as though they were painted canvases.

Dotted along the lower reaches of the cliffs were small temples and monasteries with the only access being from the river via precarious ladders attached to the cliff faces.

The natural beauty of this part of China is breathtaking and has been such a pleasant surprise as we hadn’t imagined we would get to see such beautiful untouched landscapes.

With the morning boat tour of the Three Lesser Gorges completed, we returned to our boat for our buffet lunch and a short break.

After this mornings tour, we had a more leisurely afternoon and joined a game of Mahjong^.

The boat has a room set aside for this tile based game that was developed in the 19th century in China. It’s played by four players throughout Southeast Asia. Mahjong involves skill, strategy and a bit of luck, so ideal for our tour group members.

The game prove quite addictive and after two hours of playing the spoils were shared equally with 2 wins per person.

After dinner we were treated to the crews cabaret show with a series of Chinese acts both modern and traditional. It was fun to watch the Chinese letting their hair down, although even when they do this their culture seems to stop them showing it with a smile. All the performers remained stoney faced throughout which in a way for funny in itself.

Tomorrow is our last full day on the river and we head off on our final river cruise trip, with a visit to Snowy Jade Caves at Fengdu. There we will have the chance to see China’s only pure white jade like stalagmites and stalactites.