Chongqing is China's fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin, 1,000km (620 miles) upstream of Three Gorges Dam. Chongqing is called City of Mountains. It is rich of water reserves, mineral resources and dense forests. It is reputed for its wonderful scenery.

Most travelers come to Chongqing because it's the first or last stop on a Yangtze River cruise. But there's enough here to make a 2-3-day stay enjoyable. The city is also just a 2-hour bus ride from the Buddhist Grottoes at Dazu.

With 28 million residents, Chongqing is the biggest metropolitan area in the world (surpassing Tokyo);

It's got the world's biggest dam site downriver - Three Gorges Dam;

It's in the midst of building the world's tallest skyscraper (the Chongqing Tower).

Three Gorges Museum. This museum is situated in a modern and spacious construction built in 2005. There is a complete introduction of Three Gorges, as well as the local ancient culture: Ba culture. There is lovely collection of Tang and Song heads carved out of stone. Most are of Buddha, Guanyin, and various bodhisattvas. A fine collection of terra-cotta sculptures from an Eastern Han tomb is also on the display. Discovered in Chongqing north of the Yangzi, they are small, whimsical figurines of musicians, dancers, singers, and storytellers -- a lively group to spend eternity with. The museum also boasts collections that go back in time as far as the Shang dynasty (1600-1045 B.C.). Of particular interest are the paulownia-wood "boat coffins" of the ancient Ba culture.

Dazu Grottoes. Dazu County is 271 kilometers away from Chengdu and 163 kilometers away from Chongqing. There are more than 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian rock carvings and 100,000 characters of inscriptions dotted around Dazu. The carvings include the statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva, monarchs, ministers, military officers, monks, rich and poor people, and folk art performers. With rich images as well as inscriptions, the Dazu Grottoes are regarded as an art treasure house that fully reflected the society, philosophy, religion and folklore of that time. The earliest grotto was carved in the early Tang Dynasty and most of them have a history over 1000 years. In 1999, UNESCO listed Dazu Stone Carvings as a world cultural heritage site.

Yangtze River Cruise and Three Gorges. The mighty Yangtze, largest river in China, is said to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. The 'Ten Thousand Li River' flows 6.300 kilometres from the snowy heights of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the East China Sea, just north of Shanghai. It goes by many local names, but to the Chinese it is most famous simply as Chang Jiang (LongRiver).

The old saying goes "If you haven't traveled up Chang Jiang, you haven't been anywhere" because the river winds through some of China's most spectacular scenery. In the western Wu Shan (WitchMountains) it meets the world-famous Three Great Gorges, renowned for their dramatic beauty, cultural treasures, religious and historical sites, and now for the building of the controversial Three Gorges Dam.

The stunning scenery makes the Three Gorges cruise along the Yangtze a 'must do', alone or as part of a longer trip, particularly against the backdrop of the rising waters, newly navigable tributaries and of course, the Dam itself, due for completion in 2009. The world's largest hydroelectric power plant will generate the equivalent of 15 nuclear plants, control the centuries-old problem of devastating floods and allow navigation well into the interior. (25% of China's ocean cargo enters the river between Shanghai and the sea.)

Chang Jiang has always been a major means of transport, with a colorful and exciting history. Ships were hauled bodily through some of the more dangerous reaches by 'trackers' working from narrow paths cut into the steep cliffsides.The pilots and captains, picking their way through the whirlpools, rocks and wildly fluctuating water levels have achieved legendary status.

These days, however, you can cruise the Yangtze in comfort!

We offer ships and cruises for every taste and budget, ranging from top end five star luxury through four and three star comfort to economical local ferries. Ships sail between Chongqing, Yichang and Wuhan, taking in various sites and shore excursions along the way.