After spending 4 days in Xian, we took a night train to Yichang. From here we boarded a cruise over the Yangtze to Chongqing (upstream). It was, without doubt, one of the best river cruises I've ever taken.

About this photo: As I opened the curtains on the first morning on the cruise, this was the view that I got. I was barely awake when I grasped my camera, opened the window and took some photos of the magnificent landscapes in the Xiling Gorge. It was like waking up in the "land of dreams".

As the first sunlight broke through and shone into the valley, it created a very pleasant view. I included a part of the overexposed sky so you could see how the light shone into the valley.