CHINA 11: YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE-SHENNONG STREAM

May 29

Next morning we docked at Ba Dong.

After breakfast, we boarded river boats to start a 3-1/2-hour cruise of Shennong Stream, a Yangtze River tributary.

Later, we transferred to smaller “pea-pod” boats, to navigate through places, where the stream is only 13 ft-wide.

Each “pea-pod” is 14 yards-long, and two yards-wide, and seats 10 passengers.

It is manned by a crew of four, three rowers in front, and

a rudder-man/captain on back.

All staffers, including guides are Tu Jia, a minority tribe. These people have inhabited the area for centuries. They had their own language and culture.

Before the Dam, the water in the stream was fresh, shallow and full of native fish. Since rowing was not possible, “pea-pods” had to be dragged up and down the stream with a rope, by trackers, in the nude.

Since the building of the Three Gorges Dam, many have been relocated and have lost their traditional jobs. Many have joined other swarms of migrant laborers in urban factories. Some of them, who stayed behind, have found alternative part-time jobs, like tourist boat-rowers, captains, and guides.

Guides are dressed in their traditional costumes. Unmarried young people have two stripes on their sleeves.





We also enjoyed meeting some fellow tourists.




We returned to our cruise ship, MS Blue Whale, for lunch.