Tiger Leaps but Too Far

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A side-trip on our journey from Lijiang to Shangri-la was the Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Jinsha Jiang (upper Yangste River). The trip was full of glimpses and spectacular frontal views of the Yulong snow mountain range. Various hydro-electric projects and dams were also evident, and it is said a new dam may flood the famous gorge itself. Again there were massive numbers of tourists and tour busses to manage, and on a narrow road cut into the side of the gorge. It is vast, deep and steeply wedge-shaped. One may descend some 1,000 odd steps to viewing platforms, hassled all the while by people anticipating you may require their services being carried in a chair! The object of interest is a large striped rock at the centre of the rapids, known as Tiger Rock - this is the tiger that failed to leap across the gorge at its narrowest point.

After our visit, and before returning our journey to Shangri-La, we had lunch at Qiaotou Village, where I took pictures in the street and on the roof of the restaurant, including of the adjacent river, and of chile and roots drying in the sun.

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