Perhaps less familiar to European explorers is the Yangtze River. Already a part of Chinese history for thousands of years, by the time Western adventurers arrived, sophisticated steamboats were in operation.

Viking River Cruises runs a 12-day ‘Imperial Jewels of China’ package that includes five days cruising on the noble waterway, between Chongqing and Wuhan. The boat in question, the Viking Century Sun, has operated on the river since 2006 and was the first ship on the route to offer both Chinese and Western cuisine.

The cruise section of the holiday takes in the 17th century Shibaozhai Temple, on the banks of the river. But the most scenic stretch of the Yangtze winds through the limestone ridges of the Three Gorges and the Lesser Three Gorges. Smaller vessels allow you to head out into the canyons and towering cliffs of the Lesser Gorges, with the eerie hanging coffins of the Ba people and the Three Gorges Dam – a miracle of modern engineering – on display.