Our China Tour Day 14: Yangtze Cruising-Fengdu (豐都鬼城) Ghost City We were up at 7:00. Our cabin had 2 beds, each 36 inches wide and 6 feet long, set against walls and about 30 inch space in between the two beds. The top of the bed was about 14 inches off the floor, which was covered with brown carpet that looked soiled. It was air-conditioned and had a large rectangular window that measured 36 inches high and 48 inches wide. On one side of the room on the wall were built-in shelves for storage. At the foot of one of the beds sat a small refrigerator and above it a 13” TV, that we never turned on. As we came into the cabin, on our left were his and her closets, each about 18 inches wide and 6 feet tall. On our right was a bathroom, about 3 feet deep and 6 feet wide. It had a sink and a commode and a standing room in between, which also served as the shower when you blocked the commode and the entrance door with a curtain riding on an L-shaped rail. On the floor was a rubber-tube mat. At 8:00 we went to breakfast at Golden Pavilion Dining Room located at the stern on the 3rd deck. Long tables were set against the windows and walls. As soon as we were seated, a uniformed waitress rushed over with steaming pot of coffee in one hand and hot tea in the other. The buffet tables were lined along the rear end of the ship laden with steamed rice, fried rice, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, vegetables, dim sum, and more. On another table were rice porridge, pastries and toast, fruit juices, fruits, and some special meat. As we began eating, Princess Sheena began to move. She turned around and headed downstream. Looking out the large window, we could see the lush green steep hills dotted with white buildings, the surging water in the river looking muddy, the distant hills and valleys immersed in light mist. At 9:30 am there was a Safety Orientation and River Briefing at Jade Ballroom on the 5th deck. Kimber, a Brigham Young University student studying at University of Beijing, gave the orientation. At 10:45 a female doctor clad in white soft pajama-like uniform gave us a Tai chi demonstration moving her hands and legs delicately and rhythmically to the music. This was followed by Dr. George Zhang, O.M.D., who gave a lecture on Six Acupressure Points for Different Kinds of Headaches and demonstrations on two volunteers. At 12:00 we went to the dining room for lunch. The buffet lunch included rice, noodle, beef and vegetable, boiled pork, spinach, vegetable soup, and coke. After lunch, I sat myself in a comfortable chair in the library and watched scenery parade by. Green steep hills dotted with houses with white walls, some with orange, some with blue and others unpainted cement walls, large apartment buildings, corn fields with neat rows of corn stalks in the terraced hillsides, and layers of hills and mountains—all passed by us. It was as if I was watching a movie screen. At 1:15 pm there was an introduction to fresh-water pearls with Kimber as an interpreter. At 1:52 we were all waiting in the library to go on a shore excursion to Ghost City in Fengdu. At 2:20 the engine went quiet and our ship slowly came to stop in the middle of the river. This was Fengdu. And then we saw a dozen vendors coming down the ramp from the street toward the river and the first group of passengers going ashore. In a few minutes we too walked over the floating bridge and climbed up the ramp, an uneven stone and concrete surface about 12 feet wide and 100 feet long slope of about 35 degrees. As we reached the top, we could smell the rotten sewage. A guide named Kathy was waiting for us with a bus. Honking its horn, our bus rushed through a narrow street busy with pedestrians, bicycles, cars and small trucks. For 15 yuan ($1.81) we could ride a chair lift to the top of the Mingshan Mountain Park, where the Ghost City was. This was an amusement park with Kingdom of Ghost and Palace of God out of Chinese folk tales. We walked through a colorfully decorated archway into the Ghost City. We crossed the Helpless Bridge, toured the Hell Emperor’s Temple, went through the Ghost Gate, experienced 18-layer Hell, climbed the Tower of Longing for Home, toured the Hall of Blazing Souls, inhaled the incense smoke by the Emperor of Heaven, climbed the alley of devils and ghosts and walked the Grave Road. We left there at 4:44. At 6:00 pm there was Captain’s reception on the sun deck, and everyone took picture with the captain. It was nice here, champagne flowing, cool breeze rippling the water, people talking gaily, scenery beautiful and changing, and water flowing by leisurely. We went to our dinner at 6:30. Buffet included fried rice, spaghetti, fried fish, boiled oxtail, squash, bok choy, cream soup, watermelon, cake, and coke. At 8:00 pm we were at Jade Ballroom for Sheena Follies, an elaborate theatrical revue consisting of music, dance and skits. Kimber was the master of ceremony. She said the performers were the crew who cleaned your cabin and served your meals. First, 5 men with stick and 5 women with fan danced a lively dance. Next, a man and a woman did a ballet-like dance called “Boatman’s Love.” This was followed by a fashion show. Ladies in beautiful silk gowns, a man in traditional skirt and vest holding a bird cage, 3 ladies in slim Chinese silk gowns holding parasols, girls in silk brocade dresses, a man in white pajama-like silk costume holding a fan, a young man in golf shirt and shorts, another young man in golf shirts and jeans, a woman in silk dress—all paraded and posed elegantly. “Playing in Yantze River” was next. It was a playful dance by 3 Dai girls dressed in white sleeveless bodice with long blue skirts, holding and waving bamboo coolie hats. They unwrapped their skirts exposing their thin white trousers underneath, and then flapped and waved their skirts. Before they finished, they wrapped their blue skirts back on. Four young men emerged in white chef’s uniform and danced cooking acts. A man dressed as a farmer sang a beautiful song about Three Gorges, and everyone joined in clapping hands. Then there was a harvest celebration dance by two men dressed in traditional Chinese costume and 6 couples dressed in Arabian style. The grand finale came with the entire cast lined up bowing and clapping.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 23:10:07 +0000
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