We are the first room in our hall. A tea shop is right beside our room and next to the shop is a coffee and tea bar with pastries in the morning and baked cookies in the afternoon. How convenient.
A few feet beyond that is the grand staircase and you can see all the decks.
On each side of the two floors below us are shops and demonstrations:
You can have a stamp of your name in Chinese at the end of stone carvings...
You can have a silk jacket specially tailored for you...
Drawings on fans and inside of jars, or your name...
Other rooms on the ship:
Observation Lounge
Library and computer room on the Sun Deck
See the sights from the Sun Deck
Saw lots of Pagodas along the shore.
Notice the stair case along the cliff.
Do not know what this building is. Maybe offices.
Notice the Pagoda below on the left side.
The Pagoda is built against a cliff. The back of the Pagoda is open, exposing the cliff that it is bolted to.
He also took a pic of me. Can you see me?
I have both my arms up, waving. Look for the arrow.
Our ship, the Viking Emerald.
Dave took this pic from the Pagoda.
The above pic is from Google search
Would you be able to climb 9 levels of these stairs??
You exit the Pagoda on the 9th level
2nd room: open room with a large carved mural
3rd room: Female gods.
Some were detailed in the Shibaozhai Temple.
We were still cruising the next morning. It was a nice day on the river, but a bit smoggy. Some river sights:
Wow, how did we get back to San Francisco?!?
Zhongxian Yangtze River Bridge, one of the earliest road crossings of the Yangtze River. Located between
Chongqing City and Yichang City.
Close up pic of the bridge, copied from Google search.
Notice the stair case along the cliff.
Notice the Pagoda below on the left side.
We are now docked at Shibaozhai, our first stop on the Yangtze River. The Temple is to the right of this pic above the white retaining wall. Notice how far we are from the shore. To access the shore, we had to walk across several floating bridges linked together by metal platforms. I easily made it across thanks to my trusty walking stick.
SHIBAOZHAI TEMPLE
This Buddhist temple is built on top of a steep hill that rises from the banks of the Yangtze river. The steep sides made the temple inaccessible. However, this did not stop the builders from building it. Later a red pagoda was built alongside of the temple so people could climb the spiral staircase inside the pagoda to the top and then access the temple. This was much easier then the chain lift that had been in use.
Today, due to the Three Gorges Dam. The site of this temple is almost an island.
Today, due to the Three Gorges Dam. The site of this temple is almost an island.
Once on shore, we walk up a steep street wading through several locals with motorized carts who would drive you to the site for a fee. They were persistent. When we reached the top of the street we turned left onto a street lined with vendors who all sold the same junk, but their prices "is better" than the next person. They were also persistent, almost grabbing at you.
We passed through an ornate gate into a nice garden with a pond.
At the end of the garden are bronze replicas of the Chinese Zodiac animals of the Old Summer Palace.
Sometimes the English translations are unclear. These bronze heads do not spray water. The originals did.
Dave and I both stand with our Zodiac signs.
Another ornate gate stands at the entrance to the suspension bridge that takes you to Shibaozhai Temple, an Historical Site and National Park.
The Pagoda is built against a cliff. The back of the Pagoda is open, exposing the cliff that it is bolted to.
Unfortunately, I am not able to walk those steep stairs inside the Pagoda, even with my walking stick. So Dave takes the adventurous journey with his camera.
Do you see him. He's in the middle circle, 5 levels up, lifting both his arms up.
I have both my arms up, waving. Look for the arrow.
Dave took this pic from the Pagoda.
The Pagoda is 11 levels. Inside are statues carved into the stone cliff and also stand alone statues.
Would you be able to climb 9 levels of these stairs??
Buddha head carved into the stone.
You exit the Pagoda on the 9th level
Cross a court yard and enter the Emperor's Temple
1st room: statues of the Emperor and his male Gods
that support his regime such as musicians, generals, engineers, thinkers, etc.
There are many of these statues in the temple rooms.
Above are just a few of them..
The Chinese had may legends and fables. Some were detailed in the Shibaozhai Temple.
Exiting the Temple is a pathway that takes you back to the suspension bridge. This part of the pathway has some beautiful carved marble murals.
For the next 2 days we cruise the Three Gorges area of the Yangtze River.
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