Yulongxue Shan and "Tiger Leaping Gorge"
Yulongxue Shan
The “Snow-mountain of the Jade Dragon†at 34 km from Lijiang-center is a “must doâ€, when you are visiting Lijiang. The mountain shines high above Lijiang, with its white top at 5596 meters above sea-level. Hostels and travel agencies in Lijiang organize trips going there. First they will bring you to the foot of the mountain, than you will have to take a cable car up to a beautiful green plateau in a height of 4.512 m from where the rocky mountain tops will seem incredible close and will make you feel very small.
Realize that the height of the mountain can bring some people physical problems.
"Tiger Leaping Gorge"
The Tiger Leaping Gorge is what the main reason is for most people to visit Lijiang. The deepest gorge on Earth is another “Wonder of Nature’s of Worldâ€. By foot you are able to get fascinated by the impressive gorge itself and the Jinsha River (Yangtze River). From Lijiang you can plan your trip to the gorge itself or you can ask a travel agency to advice
Although the scenery is extremely beautiful you will also have to think about the dangers. During the rain-season, in the end of summer there might be some avalanches and rocks falling down.
The hike through the gorge usually starts in Qiaotou and ends in Walnut Garden. Here you can choose between 2 roads, both 16 km long: The lower one is quite decent and is even used by cars. However, it can be dangerous because of landslides. Taking this road it will take you 6 hours to reach Walnut Garden. Taking the upper road you will need 9 hours, which might be more save and especially more beautiful. For this trip you should plan two days. Many guests houses have settled along the way, some even provide hot shower and some nice food.
Because of the slight risks it is always best to be well informed about the condition of the gorge. Always take maps with you or hire a guide.
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