Yangtze River - Explore this Massive Waterway with TourChina.com

Over 6,300 km long, the Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia, and the third in the world. It crosses the land with powerful streams through mountains and valleys and is has aspired many Chinese stories, poems and traditional values. No trip to China can be completed without an exploration of this massive, impressive river that had plaid such a prominent role in the Chinese history. Even today the river has great cultural and economical importance and many Chinese towns, villages and cities depend on its existence.

A cruise on the Yangtze River is both a romantic escape and a chance to see a different angle of China. It will take you through both secluded and well-populated areas of China and will expose you to the real Asian lives as they once were. Sailing on the river a new China emerges and you can watch the scenery and almost see the fishermen villages, small steam boats and ancient warriors who used it as means of transportation and a source of life.

However, if cruising is not to your taste, you can still enjoy the magnitude of the river, accessing it from different major points along its rout. From huge metropolitans to small forgotten villages, many Chinese people live along the river. Some of the great cities that offer good view of Yangtze are Shanghai, Yangzhou, Wuxi, Chongqing and Wuhan, but since the watercourse is so long there are of course many more.

Another city, Yichang, is the best place to get to the Three Gorges Dam. This is one of the huge dams built on the river and it is an incredible engineered structure and a highly controversial project. The Three Gorges Dam regulates flooding and creates massive amounts of "Green" electricity, but it has also destroyed cultural and archaeological sites and is changing the ecology of the area like no other manmade project before it. But while disagreements on the dam's existence still persist within and out of China, visitors to the area should take the chance and admire this unique creation, while it is still active.