--- By Yin Shuo - Director of Ground Operation Regent China

The prestigious cruise "East Queen" stood next to its counterpart "East King" by the side of the Yangtze River in a simple quay by a park in the city of Yichang. Neon lights could be found flickering on the trees and over the shadows of all the cruises on the other end of the trestle off the shore. It was the 25th of December, 2000 and traces of bright jollification from the Christmas eve remained on the faces under each of the Santa Clause caps. On the cruise "East Queen" one of the only two 5 star cruises on the Yangtze River, the bell captain was leading a chorus of the Christmas carol upon our boarding. With the enchanting melody, warmth immediately filled the air, broad smiles lighted all the faces and the fear of being stuck in a cold winter holiday was scattered all of a sudden into the misty darkness over the rapping Yangtze waves.

The lobby on the first floor (Main Deck) was spacious and comfortable, right in the center of which a bright Christmas tree twinkling with color lights amidst various kinds of gift decorations. Waiters moved around silently and efficiently handing out wet napkins for a quick refreshing while receptionists here and there were assisting people with a quick check-in. After a few minutes of laughing and joking, we, key and carry-ons in hand, were heading for our room, located almost at the end of the long, comparatively wider corridor on the second floor (Promenade Deck). The room looked neat and orderly with a total space of around 166 square feet - the largest on the River. Two beds, each 3.6 feet wide, lined by the side of the window with river view. Facilities including a fully-stored mini-bar, private bathroom with extension phone, remote-controlled satellite color TV, in-cabin IDD/DDD, central air-con system, hairdryer, wardrobe, writing desk, suitcase shelf, and of course a safety box were so precisely putted in that the room itself looked extraordinarily roomy. Except for bathtub in the standard room, the washing room had everything that a five star hotel could offer. There was no denying that the shower was more than wonderful with hot water available 24 hours around.

Twenty minutes later, we ventured out for a look-around of this cruise having once hosted onboard the outstanding figures like Mr. Bill Gates and Dr Henry Kissinger. Captain's notice pinned near the front desk caught our attention: Our main restaurant serves gourmet Chinese and international cuisine. To enhance your meals, we have an extensive selection of fine wines from all over the world. Alternatively, there is a choice of venues for snacks and drinks. The Cruise Cafe is a perfect venue for coffee, the Grand View Lounge Bar is the most cozy and relaxing place to enjoy wines while offers at all times a breathtaking view of the Yangtze River. Our Sun Deck Bar and Health Club Bar offer refreshments to suit everyone's mood. General amenities on board include a whirlpool, a fully equipped fitness centre, sauna, massage, steam-bath, hair salon, mini-library, clinic and shop. During the evenings you can dance the nights away in our nightclub, sing-along in our private Karaoke rooms or unwind in the game rooms. You can choose your favorite way to relax whilst cruising the magical Yangtze.

It was unexpectedly a very comfortable night. The cruise started around 11:00pm and I slept all the way till the first ray of the morning sunshine sneaked through the corner of the heavy curtain and the broadcast in the room cut in on the holiday wondering and ponderings making the announcement, in three languages, Japanese, Chinese and English, that the breakfast was all set in the Queen's dining room. It was found out to be a sumptuous Western Buffet Breakfast and the coffee served could not have smelled savorier. Two chef were demonstrating their skills with the making of omelet or scrambled eggs, which attracted a short queue of people. On the shelf, French soup, Italian consomme, bacon, sausages, mashed potatoes, fresh fruits, tart, sponge cakes and compote were my favorites among a good variety of other delicacies.

Morning trip today started at 0900am. Armed with life jackets, we descended on a local shuttle boat transferring us from "East Queen" to Shennong stream. Excitement soon caught everyone rubbernecking on the 12 feet long raft tugged painstakingly upstream by the six boat trackers in the shoal flanked by treacherous cliffs and crags. Drifting down the snaking stream revealed to be like movie shots mixed with dulcet, exotic Tujia minority songs by our sweet Shennong guide and successively moving spectacular pictures of thatched cottages, lush pine, translucent water, ancient cave coffins, rainbow fountains, aqueous caves, pea pot boats, chimney smokes and terraces with verdant vegetables and hard working farmers. I was hoping that the farmers could have also heard the silvery singing on our raft, which startled the macaques squatting on the krantz yet apparently amused the quacking mandarin ducks along the banks. What made my mouth solid open was the angling, as narrated racily by our boatman, by simply dipping your five fingers to the hungry fish in the stream for an handful of plump fish.

The goluptious lunch back on "East Queen" left us with sort of royal feeling as being able to, by the side of our table, inspect the splendid views of the pastoral Wu Gorge, one of the three most famed gorges on Yangtze river, parading by stately. The Captain had planned so many brilliant performances in the afternoon about Chinese cooking and Chinese calligraphy. A little bit exhausted from the morning drifting, I made my way, soon afterwards, for a siesta in the room. Awed by the landscapes of Yangtze River fleeting from the window, I struggled to keep my eyes open, only to find the lids growing heavier and heavier till the dream crept in with strange feelings like in a snug cradle following the rhythm of the "East Queen" floating above the undulating Yangtze.

Night performances of traditional Chinese dances were staged in the dining room soon after a set menu dinner which proved to be also very palatable. We did not spent much time there, instead we followed our guide to the Wheel House on the 3rd floor (Bridge Deck) and the 4th floor ( Recreation Deck ). It was amazing that we could not find any wheels in the so called Wheel House and all we could find there was a control board blinking with various color buttons. The pilot proudly demonstrated how to manipulate the buttons and sail the cruise. It was a piece of "East Queen" cake, we concluded before we backed out.

Next morning we found ourselves high on the Baidi Town. The long mounting of over 600 steps from the transferring boat to the mountain top took a pretty while and lots of heavy breathings. Easy way to make the deal was to hire a sedan chair carried by two porters, which would cost, after an easy bargain, around 200 Yuan (ca. 25 usd ). It was still breathtaking to sit, or more accurately speaking to lie, in the sedan chair, since some of the flights could be awfully steep. We arrived at the right season to feast our nose on the fragrance of the calyx canthus surrounding the most lovely washing room on the top. (The only one in the world that smells of natural calyx canthus in and out!). Baidi Town, in Chinese "White King Town", after the King Gongsun Su in the Western Han Dynasty has the legend which goes "when a white dragon is seen flying out of a well in front of a hall, the white king is born." The town overlooks the remarkable Qutang Gorge and features Ba coffin relics, precious stone tablets and events of the Three Kingdoms (220-280 AD).

From Baidi Town, the magnificent 116 miles long Three Gorges extends eastward comprising of the arresting Qutang Gorge (4.8 miles) known to foreigners in the last century as "the Windbox", the idyllic Wu Gorge (26.4 miles) with topped by the most widely renowned Goddess Peak, and the treacherous Xiling Gorge (39.6 miles) enclosing banks of shoals and rapids which turn the muddy river to a coffee-coloured froth.

Lunch was served onboard. All the vegetables, natural and fresh, were purchased from the farmers in the local town, as explained by one of the chef in white uniform, and this helped to make the food exceptionally delicious. Tea was served all through the meal free of charge whereas all other drinks would be required to be signed to the room bill. During the lunch break, our captain made a swift turn-around of the massive "East Queen" right in the middle of Yangtze River, heading back for Yichang.

Our cruise guide, Lily Wang, led us in the afternoon for the shore excursion to visit the historical town Zigui, hometown to Qu Yuan, a great patriotic poet in Chinese history and the only person in the old China besides the Emperor himself who could attire in imperial garments. To my previous knowledge, Zigui was renowned for succulent sunkist fruits. From a tiny pier, we took a local bus through a leg of bumpy mountain roads to the former residence of Qu concealed in pawpaw trees, shaddock (pomelo) and sunkist trees. It was such a solemn, dignified place overlooking the Yangtze that no wonder Chinese people would mark their lunar calendar the 5th day of May Qu Yuan's Day, or popularly known as the Dragon Boat Festival ( ref http://www.regenttour.com). Our Zigui guide pointed to a watermark at the bottom of a flight inside the entrance and remarked excitedly that by 2007 rising water would overflow to this point and the whole residence would have to be moved to a new place.

It was no more a surprise to find the tasty French soup served at dinner table decorated with candles, fresh flowers and exquisite tablewares. Rather than joining others for the night show of Peking Opera staged , I managed to relax in my room watching TV and switching from channel to channel, CNN, Cinemax, HBO, CTV, and so many other Chinese ones.

Next morning, as suggested, we ascended the Sun Deck to appreciate the sublimity of sheer Xiling Gorge, near which lies the first ever Gezhouba water conservancy project of Yangtze River was completed and the world renowned Three Gorges Dam Project construction would partly come into shape by the end of 2003. By all accounts, the Three Gorges Project will be the largest hydroelectric project in the world at present scale which is now attracting world-wide attention. Possessing comprehensive utilization benefits mainly for flood control, power generation and navigation improvement. It will be a vital important and backbone project in harnessing and developing of the Yangtze River. The Dam site is situated in Sandouping of Yichang city, 38km upstream from the Gezhouba Dam Lock. The project will be completed in the year of 2007 as planned.

By now, it was almost the time to collect the memory and wave good-bye to our beloved cruise staffs.

The only unexpected thing on the cruise I would remind everyone to bear in mind were the expensive telephone calls which would cost more than 8 US dollars for one minute international call or 4 US dollars for one minute local call. And one thing to make the heart a little easy and not so stressed is the knowledge of tips onboard which was advised to be enveloped, 6 to 8 US dollar per person per day, and be dropped in the tip box by the side of the front desk the night before departure. Tips, as explained in the notice paper delivered to each room, would then be distributed among all staffs onboard. Meanwhile I found that individual tipping at bars, with guide or for some personal assistance proved also to be outstandingly encouraging and popular.

SO LONG, OUR YANGTZE CRUISE HOLIDAY WITH "East Queen" !