Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Located near Lijiang City between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Mountain, the spectacular Tiger Leaping Gorge is the world's deepest river canyon. The 15 kilometer (9.3 miles) long gorge was formed by the Yangtze River crashing through the area, which has some of the roughest and most spectacular white water rapids in the world. Visitors looking into the gorge from the edge of the gorge can see the Yangtze River with its rapids over 299 meters (700 feet) below. The 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. Tiger Leaping Gorge is naturally divided into three sections. The first section is the narrowest section and considered the mouth of the gorge. In the middle section of the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the river drops 100 meters (300 feet) and it picks up amazing speed. The water crashes into large rocks and forms foaming whirlpools and high waves. It is an amazing example of nature's fury. The cliffs along the third section of the Tiger Leaping Gorge are much steeper than the first section. In this section the river twists and turns slamming into sharp rock and sending white foam flying. Hiking the length of the gorge is possible and has two main hiking trails. The High Road is well maintained and clearly marked. It is used every day by the local Naxi people. The newly paved Lower Road, which is 195 kilometers (121 miles) long, was until recently a simple mule track.

A local Naxi woman hiking along the High Road

A waterfall running across the High Road

The Yangtze River rushing past the Low Road

Although narrow at some points, the High Road offers spectacular scenery

A waterfall falls past visitors hiking along the High RoadMonastery

Another spectacular waterfall carving out the mountain

The narrow High Road has been used by locals for centuries

The Yangtze River Swirls past visitors hiking along the Lower Road

Terraced rice fields along the Tiger Leaping Gorge

A calm stretch of river through Tiger Leaping Gorge

The rapids of the Yangtze River through the gorge are too treacherous to be navigated

The Tiger Leaping Gorge in winter is particularly stunning