Cruising for inspiration
Travelers experience the Yangtze River's vast cross-provincial landscapes by sailing on tourist vessels, Xu Lin and Liu Kun report in Yichang, Hubei.
On day three, after a night of sailing, the cross-provincial cruise ship enters the Wuxia Gorge at dawn, drawing visitors to the deck, where the 12 peaks of Wushan Mountain rise along the banks of the Yangtze River in Chongqing's Wushan county, with six peaks on each side.
The most legendary is the Goddess Peak said to be the incarnation of the goddess Yaoji, the Chinese Goddess of Love. She also serves as a symbolic guardian for people hoping for safe sailing journeys through turbulent currents.
As tourists gaze up from the cruise ship, the slim Goddess Peak emerges like a divine maiden, often cloaked in a mysterious mist, especially during the rainy season.
Numerous poets throughout history have been inspired by these scenes and depicted the mountain's precipitous cliffs, mythical legends of the goddess, and their reflections on life and travel in their time-honored poetry masterpieces.
