Tiger Leaping Gorge

One of the world's deepest river gorges

Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia) is a thunderous canyon where the Jinsha River (the upper Yangtze) squeezes between the Jade Dragon and Haba Snow Mountains, plunging through a chasm nearly 3,900 m deep from peak to water. Legend says a hunted tiger once leapt the narrowest point using a midstream rock, giving the gorge its name. It is one of the great trekking destinations of southwest China, on the border between Lijiang and Shangri-La.

There are two ways to experience it. Most day-trippers visit the Upper Gorge by road from the Qiaotou (Hutiaoxia town) entrance, walking a paved path and stairway down to the main viewing platform where the river roars at its narrowest (an escalator covers part of the descent for an extra fee, if you'd rather not do all the steps). Hikers instead tackle the celebrated High Trail, a roughly two-day, 22 km path along the cliffs with guesthouses en route and unforgettable views.

Things to see and do

• Take the stairway (and optional escalator) down to the main Upper Gorge viewing platform for the full force of the rapids.
• Walk all or part of the High Trail, including the famous 28 Bends switchbacks (serious hikers).
• Photograph the gorge from the road-level viewing platforms if you are short on time.

Opening hours & tickets

The scenic area is generally open 07:30-18:30. There's a modest entrance fee payable at Qiaotou or the lower entrance, though enforcement away from the main gates can be inconsistent. The drive-in Upper Gorge suits all visitors; the High Trail is a proper mountain hike, so go with good footwear, water and time. If you're doing the High Trail and hoping to scramble down to a second river-level viewpoint near the Middle Gorge, note that some of the informal trailside paths down have closed or rerouted recently after slope damage; ask at Tina's or another guesthouse en route for the current state before detouring.

Getting there

It is about 60 km (1.5-2 hours) from Lijiang to Qiaotou. A handful of morning buses run from Lijiang's bus station, and many travellers book a day tour through a reseller such as Klook or arrange a driver instead; multi-day hikers usually start at Qiaotou and finish at Tina's Guesthouse in the middle gorge, which also runs a paid shuttle back to Qiaotou or onward to Shangri-La.

Best time to visit

Spring (April-June) and autumn (September-October) are best, with stable weather and strong but safe river flow. Avoid the peak summer rains (July-August), when landslides and rockfall can close trails and sections of road, sometimes for days at a time. Mornings give the clearest mountain views before afternoon cloud builds.