The gigantic Three Gorges Dam Project is going to change the Yangtze River forever, for better or for worse.

In the mystical Shennongjia National Park, the Big Foot (Wild Man) is said to roam. You may raft down the unspoiled Shennong Stream with trackers, enjoy a bonfire party with Tujia minority youth, and visit the hometowns of two legendary Chinese, Wang Zhaojun and Qu Yuan, along the crystal-clear Xiangxi River.

My second "farewell" to the Three Gorges last week turned out to be not without excitement.

Dam project

Our chartered plane landed safely at Yichang Airport in Hubei Province 11 hours after an Air China passenger plane crashed in South Korea.

In the rain, we were transported to a cruise ship - about an hour's trip via expressways, highways and 3km-long cross-mountain tunnels, all built for the Three Gorges Dam Project.

Not too far from the well-lit Xiling Yangtze Bridge, the construction site of the dam was quiet on a rainy evening.

The next morning, we changed to a smaller vessel and visited Baidi (White Emperor) City. At the entrance to the Qutang Gorge, Baidi reminds most Chinese of the stories they read in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms," especially how the Shu Emperor Liu Bei (161-223) entrusted his son and state affairs to his prime minister Zhuge Liang (181-234), considered one of the greatest strategists in Chinese history.

Carved poems and other cultural relics of the Sui, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties are well preserved. Baidi will become an island in June next year when the Yangtze will rise to the 130-metre level.

We headed towards Qutang Gorge. Many new buildings, bridges and highways were seen in the higher part of the hills along the Yangtze, as old buildings in the lower level will be submerged in about 400 days.

About 8km long, torrential Qutang Gorge is the most perilous. The narrowest part is less than 100 meters.

Kuimen at Qutang Gorge is flanked by steep cliffs that look like a huge gate. An image of the gorge is to be found on the five-yuan and 10-yuan notes.

Ancient plank roads were still visible. Workers were cutting off the ancient carvings under the future water level and moving them up to the hills.

Before nightfall, we were sailing towards Wuxia Gorge, with peaks hidden in swirls of clouds and mist and running zigzag. Tour guides told beautiful legends about the area, such as the one about Goddess Peak, which is the personification of the Goddess Yaoji.

On the third day, our boat went through the Xiling Gorge, known for its karst caves once inhabited by dwellers who created the ancient Chinese civilization.

We soon passed the construction site of the dam project, imagining what the area will look like when the dam comes into full operation in 2009 and water rises to the 170-metre level.

Bidding farewell to the cruise ship, we reached Tanziling, where we would have a bird's-eye-view of the Three Gorges Project.

Consisting of powerhouses, navigation channels and flood control dams, the project will be the largest of its kind in the world.

Upon completion, it will help prevent flooding in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze. It will have huge navigation and electric power generation capacity - equivalent to 10 Daya Bay Nuclear Power Stations.

More than 1 million people have been relocated.

Rafting

Shennong Stream rafting is different from the exciting rafting down the rapids I tried last time at the Least Three Gorges (Xiaoxiao Sanxia). Ten people occupied a soybean-shaped boat.

A small tributary of the Yangtze River with shallow rapids and breathtaking gorges, the Shennong Stream is peaceful with birds singing and barefoot trackers groaning. Hanged coffins and some Tujia minority houses projected over the water can be seen along the river.

On the fourth day, we embarked on a five-hour ride to the Shennongjia National Park. Due to road collapse, we had to drive on an old bumpy path.

Xingshan County where we had lunch will be permanently submerged next year. But it seemed life was going on as usual with small stores and vendors along the road.

The Shennong Tribune at the entrance to the Shennongjia National Park is a place to honor Yandi (the Yan Emperor). The colossal statue at the top of the hill and the 1,000-year-old tree at the foot gave a reflection of our ancestors.

A short ride from the tribune is the source of Xiangxi (Fragrant Stream) River where Wang Zhaojun, one of the four beauties in Chinese history, used to wash her face. It's said she dropped her necklace in the water and made it fragrant.

The night ended with a bonfire dance party with minority Tujia youth. My friend Bill from the US even "married" a pretty Tujia woman.

Big Foot's home

At the top of Shennongjia, about 3,000 meters above sea level, it was snowing the day before we arrived. My apologies to readers who live in colder places - Shanghai people get excited about snow.

When our advance was blocked by a road collapse, we got off the bus and started a snowball fight, expecting Big Foot to join us at any moment.

Shennongjia has one of the largest virgin forests in China. More than 500 species of wild animals and 2,000 species of wild plants are found here, including many of the world's rarest. Shennong Peak at 3,105 meters is the highest in Central China and is easily lost in dense mist.

The snow-covered Banbiyan (Plate Cliff) was the highlight of the day for us Shanghai folks. With different views of the mountains at various points, the more than two hours' hiking was said to be near the haunt of the Big Foot.

Sightings suggest that the Wild Man is very tall, has red hair, leaves only footprints and chews corn-cobs.

Our guide said a huge cash prize would be awarded to anyone who could take a picture of the Wild Man.

Travel tips

Many travel agencies offer five-day package tours to the Three Gorges and Shennongjia, with round-trip flights between Shanghai and Yichang. The price is around 2,600 yuan ($310) per person.

Choosing a package that starts on Monday and ends the following Friday evening is a wise choice to avoid the weekend crowds.

You can have your own cabin (with your own shower) if you are willing to pay a little more.

While the Three Gorges Project Hotel is gorgeous, the hotels in the Shennongjia area are relatively simple.

Take a raincoat and some warm clothes - even when the temperature in Shanghai is 25 degrees Centigrade.

Many people believe that the Three Gorges Dam Project will cause some old scenic spots to change or disappear and new scenic spots to emerge.

The various medicinal herbs are the major shopping items for some Shanghai folks.

(By Rousseau Chen Shanghai-Star April 25, 2002)