In Retrospect: Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge, the name alone evokes images of peril, mystique, and majesty. In early December 2003 when I was traipsing around southwestern China, I made sure to do the three-day hike through the gorge. It is not in a national park, nor is it a “protected area”. It is simply a place where people happen to live in a stunningly beautiful setting. Two main trails runs through the gorge: the low trail was being expanded to accommodate cars and tourist buses, the high trail, well trodden by villagers living in the area, remained the footpath that connects the little villages that cling on to the side of the steep mountain. The villages made it possible for people who had no camping gear to see the place. I hiked with a small backpack, ate and slept at guesthouses run by entrepreneurial villagers who took advantage of the fledgling tourist industry being developed around them.

The gorge, flanked by the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on one side and the Haba Mountain on the other, is reputed to be among the deepest in the world. The jagged peaks of the mountains drop almost four thousand meters to meet at the bottom, a mere twenty meters apart at the narrowest, squeezing the upper Yangtze River through a series of cascades and rapids. I hiked the relatively short high trail with a few other backpackers, enjoyed the warm Naxi hospitality, and visited the bottom of the gorge where legend had it that a tiger had leapt across to safety while being chased by a hunter.

Tiger Leaping Gorge is located in northern Yunnan Province in southwestern China.

At the western end of the gorge, the upper Yangtze, also known as Jinsha Jiang or the “Golden Sand River”, flows quietly through relatively gentle terrain.

Upon entering the gorge on the High Trail, the jagged peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was in view.

The Naxi House was a little guesthouse run by a local Naxi family. The Naxi people are the predominant ethnic minority group living in the area.

Maize and pumpkins being dried for the winter

Even the view from the toilet was spectacular.

Persimmons being dried in the sun

Higher up on the trail, the full length of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain came into view.



I spent the night at the Tea Horse Guesthouse, where I was greeted by the owner with nuts, snacks, and a bong with locally harvested “herbs.”

The next morning, it took a long time for the sun to rise above the peaks across the gorge.

After breakfast, the incredibly hospitable Naxi Mama sent us off on our hike.

The people carved out terraces and lived off the land.

The trail wound its way around the mountain, veering precariously close to the edge at places.

Taking a break with Inbal, Keeley, and John

The setting sun covered the gorge in a dramatic show of light and shadows.

The daughter of the owner of Sean’s Guesthouse swept the courtyard clean early in the morning.

The peaks of the Haba Mountain towered over the little hamlet at the eastern end of the gorge.

Every inch of arable land had been converted into terrace fields.

The water buffalo took a break as his elderly owner looked on.

The height of the mountains allowed the sun to grace the bottom of the gorge for only a couple of hours a day.

The river roared through the narrowest part of the gorge.

The vista opened up again at the eastern end of the gorge.

In Retrospect: Lhasa

When I spent a month in Tibet in 2003, it was during a period of relative peace when ethnic tension between the Han Chinese and Tibetans was at a lull. There were no major anniversaries of any uprising or suppression or riots. So tourists were allowed to roam around Lhasa unimpeded.

I flew in from Chengdu and, being at 3700 meters from sea level for the first time, immediate got altitude sickness. My head was pounding non-stop; I lost my appetite, and had to gasp for air even by walking from my hostel room to the toilet down the hall. Through the first night, I constantly woke up gasping for air. On the second day, it took me half a day to get out of bed. I had some food and felt a little better. I regained my appetite quickly and was able to walk around soon after that, but the headache persisted for a whole week.

Much of Lhasa consisted of the drab utilitarian buildings found in every other Chinese city. The Tibetan Quarter, with buildings bearing the characteristic white-washed walls and crimson trim, had now been reduced to an area clustered around the venerated Jokhang Temple. I went out on three separate trips to see other parts of Tibet and came back to Lhasa to wash, rest, and plan the next trip.

On the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa, the Himalayas below looked unnervingly close to the plane.

The Potala Palace, once the seat of Tibetan theocracy, is now a museum.

The Chinese made sure that everyone knew who was in charge.

The gilded roof of the Potala Palace shined in the sun.

The concrete square just in front of the Potala Palace

The ruins of the buildings just within the Palace compound was a reminder of the destruction carried out in the city in the last fifty years.

Looking out from top of the imposing Potala Palace

View of the White Palace


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Jokhang Temple was built in the seventh century by King Songtsan Gampo to celebrate his marriage to the Chinese princess Wencheng.

Flower pots on the windowsill

Vendors line the plaza in front of Jokhang Temple, with Potala Palace in the background.

The Dharma wheel flanked by two deer, the symbol of Tibetan Buddhism, is placed at the top of every temple.

Decoration on one of the bronze bells at the top of Jokhang Temple


Pilgrims come from all over the land to prostrate themselves in front of Jokhang Temple, often for hours at a time.

The worn-out padding used by a pilgrim for her prostrations

Pilgrims, and some tourists, waited in line to enter the main temple.

Thousands of lamps fueled by yak butter gave the air a buttery scent.

The kora around Jokhang Temple also served as a market that sold religious paraphernalia.

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Sera Monastery, one of three great university monasteries of Tibet, is situated in the outskirts of Lhasa.

Crimson-robed monks participating in debates

Solar power at its finest

Norbulinka, just a couple of kilometers down the road from the Potala Palace, was the summer residence of the Dalai Lama when he ruled Tibet.

One of the buildings in the Norbulinka compound and its neglected yard

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The front gate of this house near the Norbulinka hints at the wealth of its inhabitants.

Trunks for sale

Always circumambulate a temple counterclockwise, and spin the prayer wheels in the same direction.

Just taking a rest

Playing chess on the sidewalk

I saw outside an electronics store this advertising poster featuring none other than Arnold himself touting a machine to help students learn a foreign language. Hmm, did Arnold use it to learn English?

The sleeper bus I boarded to leave Tibet