On my way to the Three Gorges early last month, I wondered if it would be a mistake to go, given the number of farewell tours to the Three Gorges over the past few years.

 

Carved out over the millennia, the magnificent Yangtze River canyons downstream from the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing have captivated poets and painters for ages.

 

As the waters rise, millions of visitors from home and abroad have also flooded the area "to catch a last glimpse of the Three Gorges'' before it is dammed and submerged, in the words of many local travel agencies.

 

Maybe there's something to their warnings. But I wanted to see with my own eyes the effects of the dam on the Three Gorges.

 

I began my journey with friends in Yichang of Central China's Hubei Province, the city closest to the Three Gorges Dam.

 

Unlike most visitors, we chose to spend our first two days in the lower section of the Xiling Gorge, running between the Three Gorges Dam and the Gezhouba Dam downstream.

 

"This is absolutely part of the Three Gorges attractions, but it has long been ignored by many. Now more and more visitors are coming here to savour the gorgeous scenery along the 38-kilometre-long banks, unaffected by the rising waters,'' said Liu Yun, our tour guide.

 

After one and a half hour's drive from the city, we reached the winding banks of the Xiling Gorge. We boarded a ferry to travel the section between the two dams for an overall view of the gorge. It consists of three lesser gorges, namely the Huangniu (Yellow Buffalo) Gorge, Dengying (Lamp Shadow) Gorge and Huangmao (Yellow Cat) Gorge.

 

It was a sunny day after days of light rain. The breeze was gentle and the air was cool and clean.

 

And the scenes along the gorges were just as refreshing. We spent our time frenziedly taking photos of lush trees, precipitous cliffs, lofty mountains, and grotesque rocks. The mist, drifting clouds and changing sunlight made the scenery even more elusive.

 

To fully appreciate Xiling Gorge, we spent a night in a simple guesthouse at Mingyue (Bright Moon) Bay where we were served food from a menu of noodles, bacons, fresh Yangtze River fish and vegetable transported from Yichang by boat the day before.

 

The next day, we went to the Stone Tablet scenic spot. Some of the most intriguing attractions are the Shadow Puppet Rocks which resemble mythical figures such as the Monkey King and his master monk Tang Seng from the popular classic "Journey to the West.'' A 32-metre high Stone Tablet which weighs about 4,300 tons, is set amid waterfalls and caves.

 

We were told that in May 1943 the Chinese army and Japanese invaders fought here. The Japanese suffered heavy casualties with 25,718 dead or wounded and 45 aircraft, five trucks, and 122 warships lost. About 10,000 Chinese soldiers were killed or wounded.

 

The Stone Tablet Battle made it impossible for the Japanese army to enter Southwest China and is called by some historians China's "Battle of Stalingrad.''

 

Afterwards, we went to Longjin River Valley, where visitors can experience the Tujia ethnic culture. Local people used to make a living here by planting potatoes, oranges, corn crops and fishing. Now the valley has been turned into an open air show of local ethnic culture, complete with song and dance performances.

 

A mock wedding ceremony is held daily to entertain visitors. During the show, a girl tosses a red silk ball at a man she fancies in the audience, inviting him to dance and drink with her.

 

New attractions

 

We went up Huangniuyan Hill, 1,048 metres above sea level, in Huangjiu Gorge for a view of the Three Gorges Dam.

 

From here, we saw the whole area, from the dam wall to the water surging down, the shiplocks and the hydropower station.

 

The dam is so gigantic and breathtakingly impressive, and has so many points of interest -- including a museum and theme park -- it will undoubtedly become a highlight for all future travellers who cruise this stretch of the Yangtze River.

 

When fully operational, the dam will supply about 11-12 per cent of China's current energy needs, and will produce some of the cleanest, most efficient and environmentally sensitive power on the planet. And the wild river will eventually be tamed and become a constructive tool rather than a destructive taskmaster.

 

We also managed to get a closer look at the dam, including the floating garbage on the river. We were told by officials from the Dam construction company that a team of at least 100 people will be assigned to deal with the rubbish to make sure the power generators can work properly.

 

But "to prevent the problem, cities upstream should do more to protect the Yangtze River,'' said Yang Shengqin from the Media and Communications Office of the China Three Gorges Project Construction Corporation.

 

Leaving behind the dam, we visited Phoenix Hill, which boasts of a cluster of cultural and historical attractions such as the new Qu Yuan Museum and Jiangdu (River God) Temple. The hill, under the jurisdiction of Zigui County, is among the upstream attractions closest to the dam -- just 800 metres away across its waters.

 

The small county in the western part of Central China's Hubei Province is famous as the hometown of two historical figures -- the great poet Du Yuan of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) beauty Wang Zhaojun.

 

With the second phase of damming of the Three Gorges Reservoir in June 2003, the water levels rose by 135 metres, inundating a large part of the 3,200 year old county.

 

One hundred thousand local residents have been relocated to make way for the dam over the past few years.

 

Since 1994, local authorities and experts from all over the country have raced to salvage the county's precious heritage. Many relics were relocated to Phoenix Hill and the scenic area will be fully opened to visitors in three years, according to Ji Shiqing, the local culture and tourism bureau chief.

 

Wet and wild

 

After paying homage to the poet and other historical sites, we stepped up the pace and went rafting on the Jiuwanxi River, a tributary of the Yangtze River.

 

Only about 20 kilometres from the Three Gorges Dam, Jiuwanxi Scenic area provides tourists with many opportunities to get wet and wild, including rowing, rafting and mountain-climbing. The rise in water levels has reduced the stretch of river rapids to just 7 kilometres but made it even more difficult and exciting.

 

It took me more than two hours to raft the section in my small rubber boat, leaving me exhausted and soaking wet.

 

The water is crystal clear but treacherous. I had to work hard to protect myself from hitting the rocks or capsizing my boat.

 

Time from time, I would stop with help from life guards and bail out my small boat, drink hot ginger tea and eat boiled corns to keep my body warm.

 

I have tried rafting in other places in China but this was the best I have experienced. I would try it again on a return visit.

 

Time travelling

 

What happened to the submerged scenery upstream to Wushan, Wanzhou, and finally Chongqing?

 

The river flows more slowly than I remember on my last visit years ago. I was told that since the river was dammed, ships take almost as long to travel downstream as upstream.

 

Some of the scenery was almost untouched while other areas such as the 1,700-year-old Dachang Township in Wushan County were submerged and lost forever.

 

Visitors will still marvel at the mist-shrouded mountains and too-green-to-be-true forests. Temples are still chiselled into sheer cliffs and tour guides still point out rock formations named after fairy ladies and animals.

 

Although the reservoir has filled with water, the about 1,000 metres high Wushan mountains still tower over the river, snaking through the same craggy terrain.

 

The 12 peaks of the Wushan Mountains have been famous since ancient times. They stand to the south and north of the river, vying with one another for the title of the most beautiful. The most outstanding is the Goddess Peak, surrounded by myth and mystery. Cruising down this gorge was like strolling down a picture gallery.

 

Some of the peaks half-hidden behind drifting mists are like faintly inked traditional Chinese paintings. The rugged peaks piercing the clouds resemble richly coloured oil paintings, and the steep-sided mountains are like those in a bold woodcut print.

 

My most lasting impression was of vegetation abruptly disappearing on both banks of the Yangtze River as a result of the 135 metre rise in water levels when it was dammed.

 

Major attractions such as Zhangfei Temple in Yunyang were relocated.

 

When in Baidi (White Emperor) City in Fengjie, we were told the water will reach the hillside but the ancient city will remain intact. It will become an isolated islet when the filling of the dam finally increases the water level to 175 metres in 2009.

 

The "Ghost City'' in Fengdu will become a peninsula, protected by a dyke 30 metres high and 25 metres wide.

 

It was a pity I had no time to explore many new scenic spots such as the Shennong Creek, Lesser Three Gorges and Mini Three Gorges.

 

But my trip ended in Chongqing with the conviction that Three Gorges is still there, although slightly changed.

 

The general perception that you cannot see the gorges after the dam fills is not true.

 

Late this month, an international tourism festival will be held in Yichang and the Three Gorges Dam area so people can rediscover the charms of the Three Gorges first-hand.

 

(China Daily September 20, 2003)