14 Days Three Parallel Rivers Circle Adventure(Start and Finish from Lijiang)

Take the flight to Lijiang, explore Lijiang Old Town.Lijiang Old Town has a history more than 800 years; it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people.

–Lijiang Ancient Town is a largely Naxi settlement first built 800years agao, located at the foot of the Lion Hill and completely surrounded by the new city of Lijiang.In December 1986, the State Council designated it a famous ancient historical and cultural city of national caliber. In 1997, UNESCO made Lijiang a World Cultural Heritage Site. Most of the dwellings, scattered at the foot of a mountain or by the river, are brick-and-tile structures with carved doors and painted windows. Traffic across the river is facilitated by a large number of tiny stone bridges. The town is similar to the Zhouzhuang Water Town in the south of the Yangtze River.

Enjoy the sunrise of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang Ancient Town in the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeig bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow (3200M).

After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show directed in Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou, Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses. In the afternoon, you’ll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village.  Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.

–Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The highest peak named Fan Peak (Shanzidou in Chinese) which is about 5596 meters above sea level. There are three cablecars in the mountain, the fist to the Glacier Park(4500M),the second to Spruce Meadow(3200M),the third to Yak Meadow(3700M).

Check out in the hotel, drive about 100KM to Qiaotou Tow(Tiger Leaping gorge Town). Drive along the Naxi ethnic villages and the upper Yangtze River, with a panoramic view of the First Bend of Yangtze River on the way. You will start the trekking of Tiger Leaping Gorge, as one of the world’s four great gorges, is honored as one of the deepest and most marvelous gorges with 3900 meters in depth.

Start the trekking form the Qaiotou Primary School, after half an hour, arrive in Changsheng Village, pay a visit to Changsheng Hope Primary School. Arrive in Zhong Nuoyu village at noon and have lunch in Naxi Family Guesthouse. After lunch, you will start the most difficult part trekking to the 28 Zigzag Bends trail and reach the top peak at the elevation of 2670m.

You will arrive at Half-Way Guest House to finish today’s trekking. There is a nice platform on the roof of Halfway Guesthouse, aftr dinner, you will drink and enjoy the wonderful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain facing to Bendiwan Village.

Note: While you are walking in the gorge, our support t eam will take all of your luggage to meet you at Tina’s Inn, so you only need to carry two bottles of water, chocolate and camera on the trip.

Get up in the early morning, hiking down to Tina’s Guest house passing a small but high waterfall on the way. The trail from Halfway Guesthouse to Guanyin Waterfall is much easy but very small ,but you will have a nice view of the middle gorge from the cliff. After the Guanyin Waterfall, you will walk down and through the Bamboo Forest, then arrive at Tina’s Hostel.

Note:It is an option to hike down to the Middle Rapids of Tiger Leaping gorge, because it is very steep, verticle and a challenge hiking down to the river. Actually you do not have time to hike in the middle rapids, because you will continue the trip to Baishuitai and Shangrila.

You will have an option trekking further down to the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and back,it will take you about three hours, you will firstly trek from Tina’s Guesthouse down to Teacher Zhang’s Guesthouse, where you can have a nice view fo the middle gorge looks like a big gate.It is quite steep trail from Teacher Zhang’s Guesthouse down to the Middle Rapids.

From the Middle Rapids,there are two small trails back to the road, the first is climb the Tianti or “Sky Ladder” to the Sky Ladder Guesthouse about 200KM away from Tina’s Guesthouse, this is a challenge, vertical and dangerous climbing. Usually we choose the lower trail and trek to the Walnut Grove Garden, this is a nice trekking along the Yangtze River. Take the minibus for a short driving back to Tina’s Guesthouse for one night stay, because Tina’s is the best location to enjoy the scenery of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Drive to White Water Terrace at the foot of Haba Snow Mountain Guesthouse , where the Naxi culture originated. The name of the Baishuitai Village comes from the white rock formations shaped like small rice terraces located just above the town. Another 3-4 hours drive west and reach Shangri-la, the former name “Zhongdian”, a small town on the Tibetan Plateau at 3300 meters above the sea level. In Dukezng Ancient Town, around 7:00 at night,some Tibetan people and tourists will dance around Sifang Square in Dukezong Ancient Town,you will be warm welcomed by local people.

In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias – ‘the little Potala Palace ‘, so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere. Walk around Songzanlin Monastery.

And afterwards you’ll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park Pudacuo National Park is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world. While the region comprises only 0.7 percent of China’s land area, it contains more than 20 percent of the country’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.

In the late afternoon, walk around Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town which was an important town of the Tea-horse Trade Road from Yunnan to Tibet and India for the tea trading.Climb up to the top of Tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel in the world, have a panoramic view of Jiantang Town and Dukezong Ancient Town as well as some white pagodas,tibetan colorful prayer flags and monasteries.

Finally, you will visit a Tibetan’s family to experience the local life in the bonfire party with Tibetan dance and music and you will try Tibetan home-made yak and cheese.

In the morning, drive 6 to 7 hours to Deqin County (3400m altitude) which is 187km away from Shangri-La. The view along the way is fantastic with different kinds of trees, streams down the valley, prayer flags and stupas, and Tibetan villages. From Shangri-La, after half an hour driving, you will have a panoramic view of Nixi Pottery Village; drive town to the river valley, continue the nice scenery along the Jinsha River to Benzilan Town where you will have lunch.

After lunch, drive uphill to the Dongzhulin Monastery which is located in Shusong Village, Benzilan District, Deqin County, and 105km from the seat of Zhongdian County. The Yunnan-Tibet Road passes behind the temple and cars can get straight to the temple. The Dongzhulin Monastery was built in 1667, the sixth year of the Kang Xi Period in Qing Dynasty.  Visit the First Bend of Jinsha River or Moon Bend, which is the boundary between Sichuan and Yunnan. This is different from the First Bend of Yangtze River in Lijiang City. The bend in Shigu Town changes the flow direction of the Yangtze River but in Benzilan, the Moon Bend is just a grand bend between the mountains with an impressive scenery. Visit Baimang Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, you will be able to view Baimang Snow Mountain if the weather is clear, pass the top part of today at 4292m altitude at 156km.

Arrive in Feilaisi in the late afternoon, you will have a nice sunset view of Meili Snow Mountain from the Sightseeing Platform, where you can see the 13 white pagodas meaning of the 13 peaks of Meili Snow Mountain over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) above sea level, known as the “Prince’s 13 peaks”.
–Meili Snow Mountain (Meili Xueshan), also called Kawakarpo, is a UNESCO nature site located in Deqin County dividing Yunnan from Tibet, a wonderful place to hike and explore both nature and Tibetan culture.Rising between the Salween River and the Mekong River in the extreme edge of Northwest Yunnan, the Meili Snow Mt. region is part of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas.Legend says that the Meili Snow Mountain is a god guarding Tibetan Buddhism. With 13 peaks over 6000m in the range, the main peak Kawakarpo (“Kawagebo” in Chinese) is a sharp snow mountain with an altitude of 6740m,which has never been conquered yet.

Early in the morning, you will enjoy the magnificent sunrise view of Meili Snow Mountain from Feilaisi, then drive to Mingyong Village. Hike from Mingyong village to Mingyong Glacier (2600m) which is the low altitude glacier of the lowest latitude in the world.

After lunch in Mingyong Village, you will trek down directly to the edge of Meikong River(2,050m/6,724ft) . Walk along the Mekong Grand Canyon and arrive in Xidang Village(2,200m/7,216ft) where you can visit some scattered Tibetan houses in the village. Drive to along the Lancang-Mekong River to Cizhong Village in Yanmen Town.

Drive south along the Mekong Grand Canyon to Cizhong Village in Yanmen Town with some Tibatan villages en route, here you can see the different hoses from Shangri-la. Visit the Tibetan Catholic Church built by French missionaries in 1867, the church is used by Tibetan, Naxi and Lisu people. They still have the grapes planted by missionaries and old the traditional way of making wine.

–Lancang River is the longest river flowing from north to south in China. It takes its source from the Zhaqu of the Guangguori Peak of Tanggula Mountain Range in Qinghai Province, China. It is called the Lancang River after it reaches Changdu. The river runs south until it leaves China at the Nanla Bay out of Yunnan Province and therefrom changes its name from the Lancang River to the Mekong River. The Grand Canyon of the Lancang River is famous for not only its deep and long vale, but also the rushing water. The river water is limpid and rushing in winter, but turbid and onrushing in summer. As the river becoming narrow in the Grand Canyon, high waves are striking against the banks and making a sound like thunder. What a fantastic spectacle! Such steep mountains, deep valley and miraculous geographic structure are seldom seen all over the world.

Drve along the newly built road from Cizhong to Gongshan County,the road is bumpy but the scenery is so fantestic because the view of Mekong River and Nujiang River grand cayons as well as the Biluo Snow Mountain. Arrive in Gongshan County and continue the driving along Nujiang Valley to Bingzhongluo. Stop to visit the First Bend of Nujiang River on the way to Bingzhongluo.

Biluo Snow Mountain is located at Lanping churchyard which I continuous 145KM. There are 15 snow mountains, which stand 4000 meter above sea level. The Laowo Mountain is the most beautiful a highest mountain than the others, which is 4500 meters above sea level. It is 3200 meters higher compared with the Lantsang. The original ecosystem has been preserved. The climate changes unconventionally in the mountain. The flowing waterfall is densely6 covered, edelweiss and lakes are gathered, and it is called the mountain with thousand waterfalls and thousand lakes.

You will have a beautiful hiking tour in Bingzhongluo including the attractions of Qiunatong Village,Wuli Village,Dimaluo Village,Chongding Catholic Church and Nujiang River Grand Canyon.

There are easy and beautiful walks to nearby villages along the Nujiang. A few kilometers outside of town, the river widens and cuts through very deep and dramatic gorges. The road hugs the Nujiang and landslides occur from time to time along the way. It is said that the scenery is especially spectacular after rain, however this also increases potential delays and exacerbates the danger from landslides.

The most beautiful part of Nujiang Gorge starts from Binzhongluo, the northernmost town of the Gorge, where the essential attractions of the Nujiang Gorge are located.  Hiking is the best way to enjoy the landscape and an average of 2.5 hours is needed for most tourists to reach the famous “Tea Horse Caravan Route.” Renting a mini bus at Bingzhongluo town is an alternative for the less adventurous sightseers.

On the way to the “Tea-Horse Caravan Route”, one can see the 100-year-old Zhongding Catholic Church built and founded by a French missionary. Shimen Pass is another fantastic section of the gorge along with Wengli (also called Wuli), another stunning landscape lying on a beautiful slope along the river bank. Very near to the Wengli, a carved path is seen on the other bank cliff, the so-called “Tea-Horse Caravan Route”, a path used by traders ferrying their goods between Yunnan and Tibet.  At the end of the trekking road, an old hanging bridge and a new one-year-old bridge swing side-by-side.

To those wanderlusts, some trekking routes are worthy of spending days or even weeks longer between Gongshan and Bingzhongluo. Getting 90km further west to the Drung River from Gongshan reveal beautiful virgin forests as well as the kind-hearted Drung ethnic people living their old way of life.

Leave Bingzhongluo and drive 150 km through the fascinating mountain areas to Fugong. Sightseeing includes a visit to a suspension bridge and a glide cable. Special Lishu food will be served during dinner. In the evening you will take part in a party with the local people.

Return to Liuku. Enjoy your last day at Nujiang Grand canyon and visit Laomudeng Village and the bathhouse of Lishu Nationality. It is a tradition to welcome new year that all people take a bath together in the open hot springs by the banks of the river.

Start from Liuku to Nuodeng, the Nujiang River to Mekong River, visit the Bai ethnic villages in Laowo Town, drive down to mekong River in Caojian Town. Drive uphill to the Tianchi Lake in Wubaoshan Mountain Park. Ariive in Nuodeng Village in the afternoon.

Nuo Deng Village can be traced back to 2000 years ago. The village was a very important salt mining spot in that time. It remains its traditional extraction method by burning wood to get salt. Today, it lives Bai minority there. In Qing dynasty, there were over 100 students got excellent result in official examination set by the government. 6 of them became officer in the central government. Today, the village remains the old tradition of Bai. Lot of old stone steps, collection of remains from Qing dynasty. The ham preserved with Nuo Deng salt is delicious.

There a few interesting sites on the way, like the Tongjing Bridge (通京桥) in the village of Baoluo (包罗村), built in 1776 and renovated in 1784 and 1835, this bridge was a crucial river passage for the trade route that run in the valley linking Nuodeng and towns in the north. Like its name indicates, the Tonjing Bridge was a way (通) to the capital jing (京).

Around 30 minutes drive north of Baoluo village there is this interesting Rattan Bridge that a guy from Nuodeng touted as a must-see site in the valley. Hard to spot from the road, it constitutes an interesting and adventurous break from the long drive.

There are quite a few Bai ethnic minority Benzhu temples 本主庙 which are dedicated to a myriad of local gods and legendary deified figures. Except the few buses that run back and forth between Yunlong, Lanping and Jianchuan, there is not much traffic and locals are very friendly.

Walk around Shaxi Old Town, visit the Xinjiao Temple and Sideng Street. Continue 1 hour driving back to Lijiang.

Thransfer to the airport or railway station.
Service ends.