Yichang – Day 26 along the Silk Road by MGB

Friday, 28 April 2017

Never heard of Yichang? Nor had I until I got here. Well it has a population of 4 million and it’s the jumping off point for the Three Gorges Dam, which we visited today. It’s another Chinese city with energy, buzz, life and clearly a lot of disposable income. The flash cars on the street certainly spell that out, Donald Trump may worry that nobody buys American cars outside the USA, but the number of Cadillacs and Lincolns in China would tell another story. Quite apart from the Audis, BMWs, Mercedes and Range Rovers.

◄ The shops tell a story as well, whether it’s female fashion.

▲ A French bakery.

▲ A pet shop full of big dogs.

▲ Or a fruit shop full of beautifully presented and expensively packaged fruits.

▲ Including this selection of durians.

▲ Oh yeah.

◄  The Yangtze Riverside bicycle track tells a story as well, bicycles have gone from basic travel (if you were lucky enough to be able to afford one) to a fashion accessory, just like in the West. Yichang is another Chinese city with a very popular bicycle rental operation.