China Spring 2016 Part 10

On Day 8, we spent the day on a small boat cruising one of the lesser gorges, The Wu Gorge. It has always been a vacation area along the Yangtze River, and it still is, only now it’s 300 meters higher, so the cliffs aren’t as towering. The village of Wushan is at the opening to the gorge and had been there for hundreds if not thousands of years. When the Dam was built the villagers and farmers outside of town were given the choice of being moved to another city, taking a small tract of land higher along the mountain sides to farm, or moving to new dwellings in the entirely new, rebuilt city of Wushan. Our Wu Gorge guide’s family chose to remain in the city. She said it is bittersweet to have such nice, new quarters at the expense of the loss of their old village. She told us that in general the older people have great regrets and the younger people are happy with all new buildings and roads. 

A smaller river barge

The red arrow shows about how far up the Wu Gorge we traveled.

One could easily see from the water line that the river(s) are often 30 feet higher.

A bridge over the Wu Gorge to Wushan.

Even though the river is 300 feet higher than it was originally
the hills still rise up impressively high. A new farm is perched along
the hillside where none would have been before the dam was built.

A local taxi boat comes from up river. Farmers and Villagers from up river depend on the little boats
 to take children to school and goods to market because there are no roads up the hillsides.

A hanging coffin in a cave along the cliff. It was very high and it is amazing to remember
that the river was 300 feet lower when the coffin was placed there.

Farm buildings clinging to the hillside.

The cliffs "weep" causing formations like stalactites and stalagmites.

Goats clinging to the steep hillsides. It looked precipitous but we never
saw one stumble as they scrambled up and down with ease.

In this general area there was a small brown bear. I could see it when the
Guide pointed it out, but Marv couldn't so he shot the camera the best he could.

Looking back at the Gorge from the Yangtze.

Peggy relaxing on deck as we cruised up river.

A farm along the Yangtze River.