Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡Hǔtiàoxiá

Why go to Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest river canyons on Earth: the Jinsha, as the upper Yangtze is called here, churns through a slot some 15 km long, with the snow peaks of Jade Dragon and Haba rising around 3,800 m above the water on either side. The High Trail, a two-day walk past Naxi villages, waterfalls and family-run guesthouses, is one of China's great treks. Non-hikers can take stairways and cliffside walkways down to the roaring rapids at the Upper Gorge viewing area.

The story

Legend says a tiger fleeing a hunter escaped by bounding across the river from a boulder in midstream, still called Tiger Leaping Stone. The slopes are home mainly to Naxi farmers, and since backpackers began arriving in the 1980s, guesthouses along the trail have become part of village life.

What to see at Tiger Leaping Gorge

• Changsheng ridge 长胜村: The practical trailhead is Changsheng Village, about 3 km above Qiaotou. The opening section climbs roughly 300 m in about an hour and a half to Nuoyu, with views over the broad valley, and most hikers skip it, so it is often empty.
• The High Trail 高路: The classic route follows the northern wall of the gorge well above the river. It climbs the 28 switchbacks, then runs along the mountainside with the snow peaks of Jade Dragon (Yulong) and Haba facing each other across the water.
• Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge 上虎跳: Reached by a road on the south side and then a paved path of wooden walkways and stone steps down to the water. It ends at the Tiger Leaping Stone, the midstream rock from which the tiger of the legend is said to have jumped.
• Middle Gorge 中虎跳: Where the High Trail meets the road, and the usual place to finish the hike and pick up transport towards Qiaotou and Lijiang.

How to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge

Most hikers now start at Nuoyu rather than Changsheng, which saves about 1.5 hours and 300 m of climbing; there is a registration tent just past the village. A typical two-day plan is about 3 hours from Nuoyu to the Tea-Horse village over the 28 Bends, another 1.5 hours to Bendiwan for the night, and about 2 hours down to the Middle Gorge on day two. The final descent is steep and exposed in places, so do not attempt it after dark. If you would rather not hike, drive to the Upper Gorge parking area and walk the paved path to the Tiger Leaping Stone.

How to get to Tiger Leaping Gorge

Buses from Lijiang reach Qiaotou (Hutiaoxia town), at the western mouth of the gorge, in about two hours, and shared transfers drop hikers at the trailhead near Naxi Family Guesthouse. The Upper Gorge viewing area is a short drive further along the gorge road.

Where to stay

Sleeping on the trail is part of the experience: family guesthouses stand at Nuoyu, the Tea-Horse village and Bendiwan, the last with views of Jade Dragon, and they serve home-cooked meals. Qiaotou has a handful of hotels for the night before an early start, and Lijiang old town is the base if you only come for a day.

What to eat

• Chicken-bean jelly 鸡豆凉粉: A grey-black jelly made from lentils (the local 'chicken beans'), a Naxi speciality from Lijiang, usually served cold with chilli oil and vinegar or fried until crisp.
• Lijiang baba 丽江粑粑: A baked flatbread listed among Lijiang's best-known local foods, which makes easy food for the road.

Tips for visiting Tiger Leaping Gorge

• Avoid July and August, when rain makes the narrow trail slippery and brings rockfalls; the Upper Gorge viewing area also closes temporarily after heavy rain, so check its official WeChat account before you go.
• Stick to the marked High Trail: steep, unofficial paths down to the river in the Middle Gorge, such as the Sky Ladder, have been closed by the authorities after fatal falls, so ask your guesthouse what is open.
• The steep '28 Bends' on day one are the hardest part, and the trail tops out at about 2,700 m; book the Halfway Guesthouse ahead in October and carry your passport for check-in.

Nearby

• Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 玉龙雪山 10 km
  A glacier-hung massif on Lijiang's doorstep, with a cable car to over 4,500 metres
• Baishuitai 白水台 40 km
  Milk-white travertine terraces below Haba Snow Mountain, sacred to the Naxi Dongba faith
• Lijiang Old Town 丽江古城 40 km
  Cobbled lanes, rushing canals and Naxi courtyards beneath a snow-capped peak
• Shangri-La & Songzanlin Monastery 香格里拉松赞林寺 90 km
  A golden-roofed Tibetan monastery stacked up a hillside, nicknamed 'Little Potala'
• Lugu Lake 泸沽湖 90 km
  A clear alpine lake on the Yunnan–Sichuan border, home to the matrilineal Mosuo
• Shaxi Ancient Town 沙溪古镇 100 km
  A caravan town on the old Tea Horse Road, with a village market every Friday

Also within 30 km: Yushuizhai 玉水寨 (20 km), Baisha Murals and Dabaoji Palace 白沙壁画 (30 km).

On the map

Open Tiger Leaping Gorge on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)