Tiger Leaping Gorge | One of The Deepest Gorges in The World - Yunnan, China
The Tiger Leaping Gorge
The Tiger Leaping Gorge is not only a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, but is also one of the deepest gorges in the world. The gorge officially opened in 1993 and has a maximum depth of 3,900 meters or 12,795 feet; that’s about twice the depth of the Grand Canyon! It's not only impressive by depth but also its length, spanning 24 kilometers or 14 miles. Basically, it's massive. This incredibly deep and profound gorge can be found in the Yunnan Province of Southern China.
The gorge was formed by the Earth’s crust movements and carved away by water erosion from the Jinsha River. This river flows through the gorge with a forceful current and it glistens from far above with a vibrant turquoise. The Jinsha River then feeds into the Yangtze River and on either side of the gorge, sit two commanding mountains - Jade Dragon Snow, also known as Yulong Snow Mountain, and Haba Snow Mountain. Both mountains can be climbed by foot and should not be missed on your trip to Yunnan. Jade Snow Dragon Mountain rises to an elevation of 5,596 meters (18,360 feet), this mountain is made easily accessible by cable car, which takes you up to two observation decks. One deck is at a height of 4,506 meters (14,783 feet) and the second at 4,680 meters or 15,350 feet. Haba Snow Mountain sits at a similar height of 5,396 meters or 17,703 feet. These mountains serve as a backdrop to the Tiger Leaping Gorge and make for an incredibly memorable hike.
The scale of something so large can be difficult to comprehend as we are limited by our human perceptions. Only when you walk alongside its cliffs, can one gain a true sense of just how vast the Earth can be and within that, how insignificantly small we as people, actually are.
I have hiked and climbed mountains in many places in the world, and this hike has easily secured a spot in my top 10. Stunning rock faces, grand encompassing mountains and views with gut-wrenching drops make the Tiger Leaping Gorge an incredible hike and one of the best in all of China.
Yunnan Province
Yunnan is a landlocked province in Southern China, it borders Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and the autonomous region of Tibet. Due to its close proximity, visitors can experience a true taste of Tibetan culture and especially so in the town of Shangri-La. This province is mountainous and vast, it expands far and wide and is even larger than the country of Germany.
Yunnan is unique in its history and remains culturally rich to this day. Yunnan is one of the most diverse provinces in all of China with an astounding 24 out of 55 ethnic minority groups residing and present in this region. In addition to these numbers, 16 groups have indigenous histories. With so much diversity in one place, Yunnan is an interesting place to visit and offers authentic interactions with new cultures.
The Yunnan province has been confirmed as the first location of the earliest humans in china. In the Yuanmou Basin, archeologists discovered fossils of man-made stone tools that date back 1.7 million years. How incredible is this, a region so beautiful is also so rich in its history.
While trekking the Tiger Leaping Gorge (TLG), you will have the opportunity to see and interact with the indigenous people native to the land, the Naxi. Many Naxi people reside within the gorge, farming, tending to livestock and lucky for us, many have opened guesthouses for hikers to sleep in along their journey.
The legend behind the name
Tiger Leaping Gorge wasn’t bestowed its name simply because it sounded cool, although it definitely does, doesn’t it? The name actually comes from a story, a legend.
The story tells a tale of a hunter and his prey, the tiger. While being chased throughout the gorge and in the mountains, the tiger eventually found itself at a dead-end and at the water’s edge. With no other choice and to save its own life, the tiger leapt across the Jinsha River and escaped the hunter. This leap was no measly little hop, at the gorge’s narrowest point, the tiger leapt a gaping distance of 25 meters, that’s 82 feet! With this, the legend began and the TLG earned its name. This infamous spot and the narrowest point of the gorge has been marked upon a large boulder with a tiger statue to commemorate the tale. This also serves as a viewing site for visitors including those who do not trek the trail. The viewing platform is on the river and can be accessed by car.
Now, are you ready to hike one of the deepest gorges in the world?
Madeline
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