River Yangzte - Majestic and Grand!

Have a look at my pictures of the River Yangzte - home to many millions of Chinese over thousands of years.

I spent some time living along side the Yangzte at Chongqing. In my travels I got some great pictures of the River Yangzte.

Chongqing is a long way from the sea.

During the summer, before the water of the melting snows of mountains of Western China flood the Yangzte, the water level is quite low.

The citizens of Chongqing use the sand and dry areas of the Yangzte as their own beach.

Very convenient to escape the very hot summers of Chongqing!

This picture says a lot about China.

There is the might Yangzte - big and impressive as it has been for thousands of years.

And modern Chongqing!

Tall modern buildings - great bridges - magnificent roads!

The old and the new together!

The Yangzte is a great transport corridor in China.

You will see shipping plying the waters of the Yangzte from the coastal city of Shanghai to Chongqing and beyond.

Day and night you will continually see barges carrying coal and other materials for the industrial machine that is such an important part of China.

I was amazed at the number of bridges I saw in Chongqing.

Every few kilometeres there was a bridge to move masses of people from one side to the other.

And the bridges were magnificent structures - each having its own unique design.

And new bridges are being built all the time. In the two years I was in Chongqing - two new magnificent bridges were built over the Yangzte River.

The Yangzte is a very busy place - shipping everywhere!

Nevertheless, people find solitude in the busiest of places.

These Chinese people look miniscule on this huge river enjoying their fishing.

Although the Yangzte is an important commercial corridor, I saw many people enjoying fishing from boats and the banks - a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of Chongqing.

Even though China is modernising at a great rate, many people still do not enjoy modern conveniences - particularly in rural areas.

This part of the Yangzte is in a rural area. People are still using the Yangzte to wash their clothes.

It illustrates the gap between the well off middle classes that live in cities like Chongqing and the rural areas where the standard of living is lower.