From Jade Dragon Mountain to the Tiger Leaping Gorge

Today we drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan in Chinese), a mountain range near Lijiang (about 15km). The range consists of 13 peaks, the highest is Shanzidou (5'596m). The view of the mountain from Black Dragon Pool (see day 2 for more details) resembling a lying jade dragon is noted as one of the finest views in China. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is also home to a vast number of wild plants and rare animals.

We ascend by cable car to the summit station at an altitude of 4506m from where you will have a great view on the glaciers. Then we travel on to the Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia in Chinese), a canyon of the Yangtze River situated about 60km north of Lijiang. We will make a stop at Shigu Town, where the Yangtze takes its first turn to the north, forming the famous First Bend of the Yangtze River. Legend has it that in order to escape from a hunter, a tiger jumped across the Yangtze River at the narrowest point (approx. 25m), hence the name.