Five Days at Yunnan's Tiger Leaping Gorge
Yunnan’s Tiger Leaping Gorge may have a reputation as a wild, remote corner of China—but Sarah Fung discovers that actually, it can be tackled in a long weekend. Photos by Steve Fung.
Tiger Leaping Gorge? “I’ve always wanted to go there!” Any mention of this famous, multi-day hike through one of the world’s deepest ravines elicits wistful sighs from would-be travelers, who consider Yunnan’s northern climes too remote for anything less than a full-on trekking expedition. In truth, Tiger Leaping Gorge isn’t at all hard to get to from Hong Kong, thanks to Sichuan Airlines’ thrice-weekly flights straight into Lijiang—the closest airport to the national park where you’ll begin your trek. As long as you’re fit, it’s also surprisingly doable for rookie trekkers. Fly out of Hong Kong on a Thursday evening and fly home on Tuesday afternoon, and you only really need to take three days off work to complete one of China’s most spectacular walks—with a little bit of sightseeing thrown in at the end.
Getting There
Most trips to Tiger Leaping Gorge begin in Lijiang. A three-hour plane ride from Hong Kong, Lijiang is located in Yunnan’s Northeast and is home to the Naxi ethnic group, users of the world’s last surviving hieroglyphic language. The Tiger Leaping Gorge national park is located roughly two hours from Lijiang by taxi or private car, although buses are available from Lijiang bus station for the adventurous traveler. Sitting on the border of Lijiang and Shangri-La counties, this protected area is home to rural villages, rice terraces and an imposing mountain range that looms higher and closer the farther down the trail you go. Roughly 16 kilometers in length, the trek itself is an access path that the villagers still use today. Known as the High Road, it hugs the mountainside and takes you up steep inclines, past waterfalls, through farmlands and shaded woods, before finally joining the Low Road, a modern, thoroughly tarmacked thoroughfare (for the most part) where buses pick up hikers and villagers alike, bringing them back to Lijiang—or taking them farther north to Shangri-La.
Shuhe Old Town
The outbound Sichuan Airlines flight leaves at 7:40pm, so there won’t be much to do on your first night other than to get to your hotel and bed down for the night. This is the only hotel you’ll need to book in advance, particularly if you’re a) less than conversant in Putonghua; and b) you prefer to have your transfers organized in advance. We chose The Bruce Chalet (www.brucechalet.com), a friendly, family-run bed and breakfast near Shuhe Old Town with rooms for around RMB260 per night. Bruce speaks good English, is reliable over email and can help to arrange a taxi to pick you up from the airport, and to take you to beginning of the trail in the morning.
Halfway Guest House
Day 2
Wake up bright and early and have a cup of tea in Bruce’s garden courtyard before strolling ten minutes into Shuhe Old Town to poke around, have breakfast and buy some water for the long day ahead. Arrange your taxi to take you from Bruce’s at about noon, arriving at the start of the trail just after 2pm. You will need to pay an entrance fee of RMB50 to enter the park, and from there the driver will point you towards the start of the hike. The first day is an easy stroll along a well-paved road, although construction work on farmhouses along the trail means that it’s also the least picturesque part of the walk. You’ll know that you’re on the right path thanks to the small blue signs pointing the way, as well as arrows in yellow, green and red, spray-painted onto rocks and trees all along the path: these are courtesy of the park’s guesthouses, making sure you find your way to their doors (seemingly Hong Kong’s zeal when it comes to signage has not yet made it to this corner of China). After about three hours (or less, if you’re a fast walker) you’ll hit the Naxi Family Guesthouse, a pretty spot where you’ll find a cozy bed, a shower, a slap-up meal and plenty of Dali beer to help you toast your first successful day on the trail.
