Gao Feng
easy@easylijiang.com
131 0888 9514
Two days hiking in Tiger Leaping Gorge
One people: RMB 3000.
Two people: RMB 2000 per person.
Three or more people: RMB 1750 per people.
Price includes: private car for two days, English speaking trekking guide, four meals, tickets.
The Tiger Leaping Gorge trek (Mandarin: HuTiaoXia), near Lijiang in Yunnan, is one of the finest treks in Southern China. It passes through some of the most naturally beautiful and diverse landscapes China (if not the world) has to offer, making this once adventurous trek a popular choice for off-the-beaten track travelers. The trek passes in front of one of the highest peaks in Asia, Meili Xueshan, and high above the deep crevasses of the Tiger Leaping Gorge, delighting every backpacker with truly awesome sights and great photos.
Around 15 km in length, the gorge is located where the river passes between 5,596 metre Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山; Yùlóng Xuĕ Shān) and 5,396 m Haba Xueshan (哈巴雪山; Hābā Xuĕ Shān) in a series of rapids under steep 2000 metre cliffs. Legend says that in order to escape from a hunter, a tiger jumped across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 metres wide), hence the name.
Tiger Leaping Gorge is a contender for the world's deepest river canyon, depending on the exact definition used. The inhabitants of the gorge are primarily the indigenous Naxi people, who live in a handful of small hamlets. Their primary subsistence comes from grain production and foreign hikers. The gorge is not considered navigable. In the early 1980s, four rafters attempted to go down the gorge and were never seen again. In 1986, the first known successful attempt to sail through the gorge was made by the first expedition to float down the entire length of the Yangtze, starting at the river's high source at the Gelandandong glacier lake.
The area was officially opened to foreign tourists in 1993, but had attracted adventurous backpackers already in the 1980s. Officials plan to improve the existing trails and roads, bringing tour buses and more development. These plans arouse highly varied reactions among the local population, from strong opposition to strong support.
Natural crystals are mined from areas in and surrounding the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
