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Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge Four days trip to tiger leaping gorge and Baoshan Stone Town
On 21th, June, I had a trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge and Baoshan Stone Town. It was an amazing trip.
On the first day I woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning and received my friends from Korea at train station. We started to go to Tiger Leaping Gorge soon. On the way driving to the gorge, I found that everywhere green and I know summer is coming. After 2 and a half hour’s driving, we stopped in Naxiyage guesthouse and had breakfast.
Tiger Leaping Gorge got its name from a legend that says in Dynastic China, a tiger attempting to escape a hunter jumped across the gorge at the narrowest point, which is 25 meters wide. The gorge is an excellent hike for independent trekkers looking to escape the hustle and bustle, not to mention the pollution, of China's busy cities. Located about 40 miles north of Lijiang City in Yunnan Province, the trail first rose to prominence in the 1980's, when western backpackers began to explore the area. At that time, there were actually two distinct routes, consisting of the easier and flatter "Low Trail" and the
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge much more challenging and dangerous "High Road". The Low Trail has recently been paved over and made into a highway and while it is still an option, the High Road is a far superior option.
After breakfast, we started hiking and we planed to get to Halfway Guesthouse in the afternoon. It was a sunny day. I knew it would be very hot soon. So I brought 2 bottles water with me and started hiking. Go!
That trail is a mere 15 miles in length and requires just two days to hike end to end, but it is a long and difficult trek thanks to the steep trails and dramatic changes in altitude. The mountains that flank the trail are both well over 16,000 feet in height, and the sheer cliff faces fall away sharply. More than 6500 feet below, the Yangtze River can be seen rushing by, making a thunderous noise as it passes. Scenic vistas dominate the region, giving me plenty to gawk at throughout the journey.
About 1 hour, we arrived at the fabulous 28 bends. Just as its name implies, you should hike across 28 bends to get to the top; but when you get to
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge the top after the exhausting walk, you will find the landscapes are much more enjoyable. The whole distance of the 28 Bends is 7 km (4.347 miles) which takes about 1 hours to finish the hiking.
At noon, we had lunch in Tea horse Guesthouse. I crushed a big bowl of fried meal with rice。 I was so hungry after 3 hours hiking but not tired.
At 5 o’clock in the afternoon we arrived at Halfway Guesthouse. On the balcony I had my supper and felt the splendor of nature. Beautiful!
On the 2th day, we planed to get to Shanquan Guesthouse. So we leaved Halfway, went down Middle Gorge. On the way I met with a local people, he showed me some medicine herbs and told me their efficacy. I was busy taking pictures of these herbs and hoped I could use them someday. We walked along the road to walnuts park. Seeing the waterfalls, thiger leaping stone and the overfall of the gorge. Finally we came to Shanquan Guesthouse and received a warm welcome by the housemaster.
On the 3th day of my trip, we drove to Baoshan Stone Town.
Baoshan is located about 110 kilometers north of
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge Lijiang. The highest altitude around Stone Town is 4600 meters, the lowest altitude is 1600meters, so it is almost 3000 meters deep. It was built in the late 13th century, the Naxi Yu Clan (ancestors of Mu families), first lived and multiplied here, then migrated down into the Lijiang plain. Before in order resist the enemy‘s invade, in hundreds’ years, no any army use the force to overcome.
Around the Stone Town is steep cliffs and high mountains, at the foot of all the mountains are scattered small villages. Beside villages there is a lot of terraced fields with different crops. Below the Stone town on its east side, it’s bordered by the Golden Sand River(head of the Yangt-ze River) It is a true special place, there are 108 Naxi families live on a huge rocks which looks like a mushroom. Surrounded by a 5.5-foot stone wall on all sides, there are only two entrances into the Stone town, one in the front and one at the back. When these two doors were closed, no one could enter it with an attacking army, because the town was easily guarded from the top.
When I saw these, the doubt was disappeared
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge in my mind. All the brave and diligent Naxi people lived here for thousands years, but there are very few families depended the rocks to made house and use rocks to make bed, stove… there is so many things that are very hard for us to imagine!
We stayed in the local family and lived a hot night. So we drank a lot and played poker a few hours. When it was cool I went back to my room and fell asleep.
This 4 days trip is unforgettable. Fortunatally I took pictures to remember it.
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