China Guide
Yunnan
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Around 70km north of Lijiang, the Yangzi channels violently through Tiger Leaping Gorge. The drama is heightened by this being the world's deepest canyon, set at an altitude of 2500m with the line of ash-grey mountains that form its southern wall rising for a further 3000m above the rapids. There are no temples to see, the villages along the way are quaint but minute, and the scenery is stark – the gorge's pastoral residents have long since stripped the land of trees and shrubs.
Two routes lead through the gorge between Daju in the east and westerly Qiaotou, on the Dali– Shangri-La road; both take at least two days of walking. No buses run between Qiaotou and Daju, though both are connected by daily services to Lijiang's North bus station. The routes are identical between Daju and the halfway point at the tiny village of Hutao Yuan, which has become known to foreign travellers as Walnut Garden. From here to Qiaotou, the forty-kilometre-long low road has better views of the river but follows a new vehicle track, especially built for Chinese tour buses; the fifty-kilometre high road – actually a trail – offers a rougher and more exciting detour. You can tackle the trail in either direction. If you want to head to Shangri-La afterwards, which has bus connections from Qiaotou, you might prefer to start at Daju, which is mostly uphill. Alternatively, hike from Qiaotou (which makes for easier walking) as far as Walnut Garden, then hitch a lift back along the low road to Qiaotou
Hostel accommodation and meals are available along the way, though you need to bring snacks, a solid pair of boots, a torch and a first-aid kit. Winter days are often warm, but nights are cold throughout the year. It's best not to walk alone, in case something goes wrong along the way. Landslides are a serious hazard and have been known to kill hikers, so do not attempt either route in bad weather or during the June– September rainy season; for the latest conditions, check 
www.tigerleapinggorge.com .