China is located in eastern Asia along the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. It spreads over a vastly diverse geographical area of 9.6 million square kilometers (about the size of the USA or Europe), and is home to approaching 1.4 billion people (more than N. America and Europe combined).
The highlands and hill regions account for 65 percent of the country’s total landmass, and there are more than 2,000 lakes dotting the landscape. The highest mountain peak is Qomolangma (Mt. Everest) in Tibet, the highest in the world, 8,848 meters above sea level.
Among the 220,000 kilometers of rivers the Changjiang (Yangtze), Huanghe (Yellow River) and Zhujiang (Pearl River) are the most famous. The Yellow River Basin is the cradle of Chinese civilization, as the many cultural-historical sites along its banks can attest.
A cruise up/down the Yangtze offers unique encounters with China’s rich cultural heritage as well as some spectacular vistas. Check out the 2019/2020 Cruise Calendar to explore the Yangtze River, and to explore China’s ancient culture.