The Yangtze stretches 3,917 miles from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea, flowing through the heart of China past landscapes that have defined the country’s culture, mythology, and history for five thousand years. A river cruise on the Yangtze — typically between Chongqing and Yichang, a journey of four to five days — passes through territory that was, until the Three Gorges Dam began filling in 2003, almost inaccessible to ordinary travellers. Today, modern cruise ships ranging from boutique luxury vessels to larger floating hotels navigate the gorges in comfort, making the Yangtze one of Asia’s most accessible and rewarding long-form travel experiences. The Three Gorges themselves — Qutang, Wu, and Xiling — are the journey’s central drama. Qutang Gorge is the shortest but most dramatic: sheer limestone cliffs rising 1,200 metres on each side of the river, with the water far below running fast and green. Wu Gorge, the longest, is named for the Wu Mountains whose twelve peaks are associated in Chinese mythology with a fairy who guards sailors against the rapids. Xiling Gorge is where the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest power station, now holds back a reservoir the length of Scotland. Shore excursions typically include the Fengdu Ghost City, the ancient hanging coffins of the Shen Nong Stream tributaries, the riverside town of Shibaozhai with its extraordinary wooden pagoda clinging to a sheer cliff, and a visit to the Three Gorges Dam itself. Early morning Tai Chi on deck, calligraphy classes, and evening talks on Chinese history are standard features on quality vessels. The Travel Suite partners with the best river cruise operators on the Yangtze, recommending smaller, more characterful ships with higher service ratios. We combine a Yangtze cruise with time in Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai for a comprehensive China journey that brings together the country’s ancient, imperial, and modern faces in a single unforgettable trip.