Tiger Leaping Gorge Review

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Tiger Leaping Gorge

Fodor's Review:

A 2½-hour drive from Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia) is home to some of China's most breathtaking mountain scenery. See it now, before completion of a dam on the Jinsha River that will partially fill this massive chasm. Measuring about 16 km (10 mi), the gorge can be leisurely hiked in two days. There are two trails, the more popular running between Qiaotou in the west and Daju in the east. The easiest way to tackle the trek from Lijiang is to take the 8:30 AM or 9 AM bus on Xin Da Jie to Qiaotou and hike toward Daju.

There are several guesthouses in the gorge, scattered at distances to accommodate hikers at any stage of their trek. All offer food, hot showers, and beds for Y10 to Y20. These guesthouses have put up signs and arrows to let hikers know how much farther until the next lodging. If you don't mind not hiking the whole gorge, stop in Walnut Garden, where you can take one of the regular buses back to Lijiang. If you continue to Daju, there are only two buses a day to Lijiang, at 8:30 AM and 1 PM.

Nuisances along the trail include fake "toll collectors" who will attempt to take your money and aggressive local dogs. The former requires patience and politeness to deal with, the latter the ability to stand one's ground—and it's useful to have a large stick.

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