History, regional dining and rolling views lie in wait when you put to the waters of China?s most famous river for a cruise
Day 1 Wuhan
We spent the day walking along the new Riverfront Promenade, taking in the old architecture along Yanjiang Dadao, and wandering down the new -pedestrian mall on Jianghan Lu. Now it's time to board the Isabella for our trip down river to visit other cities along the Yangtze. The pier is opposite the impressive old Wuhan Customs House, and as we carry our bags down to the pier we're welcomed by a brass band and boat staff in silk qipaos handing out hot towels. In the evening there's a welcoming party, followed by a buffet dinner. We stand on the deck as our boat travels under the Changjiang Bridge ? a double-decker -structure for both trains and cars ? leaving the bright city lights of Wuhan in the distance.
Day 2 Jiujiang and Lushan
When I wake up our boat has already docked at Jiujiang, or ?Nine Rivers,? a small city in Jiangxi province. After breakfast we board the bus for Lushan, less than an hour away, a town built by westerners at the end of the 19th century as a summer resort. In ancient times, this mountain was a favorite of Chinese poets, including Li Bai and Bai Juyi. The winding ride up the mountain, a bit dizzying, takes us past farms and tea plantations. This mountain resort town, which is quite cool, has shops, lakefront hotels and restaurants. There are also pleasant paths through the mountains that take you across Heaven's Bridge, past Brocade Valley and an old Taoist temple with a resident fortune-telling priest. Near Fairies Cave, Chinese mimic the late Chairman Mao Zedong, posing for a photo in a wicker chair, legs crossed, a cigarette dangling from between his fingers.
We head back to the town and visit Meilu Villa, an old house named after Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek?s wife, Song Meiling, and where the couple often relaxed. General George Marshall visited Lushan eight times in 1946 in an attempt to mediate an end to the civil war between the Nationalists and Communists. It was also the site of the famous Lushan Conference. Black and white historical photos hang from the walls. After lunch we drive an hour to a hot spring resort in the town of Xianning, where it's our turn to relax in the soothing mineral waters. As we return to the port area we pass by several European buildings, remnants of the time when seven foreign countries had consulates here.
Also within driving distance of Jiujiang is Jingdezhen, China's famed ceramics capital, which began making pottery in the Han Dynasty. Nearby Poyang Lake is the country's largest freshwater lake.