Yangtze River Golden No.1, which is touted as the world's most luxurious cruise ship on inland rivers, has had her maiden voyage from Chongqing.

This cruise ship is the first of the Yangtze River Gold series introduced by Chongqing Transportation & Tourism Investment Group. Displacing 12,000 tons and able to accommodate 350 tourists, the ship is 136 meters long and has an air draft of 17 meters — the equivalent of a six-story building. She is fitted out to five-star hotel standards with 160 guestrooms and suites.

Designed in accordance with ocean cruise standards, the luxury vessel boasts a helipad, a large theater, a meeting room with simultaneous interpretation equipment and hydraulic lift. Other facilities on the cruise ship include a cigar bar, book bar, a children's play area, a sauna center, a medical center, a spa, a multifunction hall, an outdoor swimming pool, a digital golf simulator, and four panoramic elevators.

It is reported that another nine cruiser ships will be introduced the Yangtze River Gold series over the next two years. With the existing cruise ships, there will be a total of 30 Yangtze River cruise ships based in Chongqing.

Chongqing Transportation & Tourism Investment Group has invested CNY5 million to initiate the marketing of Three Gorges cruises and travel, which focus on meeting and business travel markets, including setting up 24-hour toll free reservation line, online ticketing, and facade advertisements. It will set up seven marketing and sales sites across China to promote Three Gorges travel.