Arrive in Lijiang

Lijiang-Shigu-Tacheng

From Lijiang to Tacheng, it is 140KM, you will have 4 hours driving along the beautiful Jinsha (Gold Sand) River, which is the upper reach of Yangtze River in Lijiang. Drive through Shigu Town, Zhongxing Town, Judian Town,Shangjiang Town with some Naxi ethnic villages on the way. You will have lunch in Juxian Restaurant(a clean restaurant and best food) with local flavour in Judian Town; If you are lucky, you will find the local bazaar happened every 5th and 10th of the traditional Chinese calendar.
 
After lunch, continue the driving to Tacheng Town. Unload the floating equipment including tent, sleeping bag, water-proof bag, fridge, paddles,LPG container,gass cooker,life jacket and so on. You will start the rafting after inflating the drifting boat. The most beautiful part of the rafting today is the Jigong(Rooster) Stone Islet located in the middle of Jinsha River in Shangjiang Town. From a far, you will find there is a sharp peak which looks like a flying rooster, hence the name of Rooster Stone Islet. The Jinsha River is divided two parts by the Rooster Stone Islet in the middle. Here is the most exciting rafting part of your trip because of the rapids, whirlpools and waves at the foot of the Rooster Stone Islet. After 4 hours rafting, you will build the camp for overnight in the beach island near the Judian Town.
 
--Tacheng Town is located in the northwest Lijiang. It is connected to Yulong Naxi Autonomous County in Lijiang, Shangri-La County, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County and Deqen County in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Tacheng is a multi-minorities town with more than 11 minorities including Naxi, Tibetan, Han, Bai, Lisu and so on. There are also Lisu living in multi-cultural Tacheng, northwest of Lijiang, another lovely and underdeveloped area.

Tacheng is an important town of the Tea Horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India. Tacheng is also a military importance and the centre of the economy and culture exchange between Naxi and Tibetan people, because historically the Tea Horse Trade Caravan entered the Tibetan Area from Tacheng.

Get up in the early morning, enjoy the sunrise of the Jinsha River with green mountain ranges. After breakfast, continue the rafting trip to Zhongxing Town. Today is a specail rafting, you will raft through some islands in the middle of Jinsha River with some green willows and cows in the islands as well as you will find some farmers are fishing in the river with small canoes in the river. Especialy, you will find some children swimming in the river without underwear. If they find you are coming from a far, they will be very shy and hide in the willows or they will swim very fast as a fish into the grass. This will be very special experience for your trip.

You will have a simple lunch when you land in Judian Town. Lunch includes some watermelon, chocolate, bread, some fruit, and local pancakes as well as some drink. Build the camp in the willows forest island in the late afternoon. Have a bonfire party in the evening.
 
--Jinsha River or Gold Sand River is the westernmost of the major headwater streams of the Yangtze River, southwestern China. "JinSha" literally means "Gold Sand" or "Golden Sands". Its headwaters rise in the Wulan and Kekexili ranges in western Qinghai province, to the south of the Kunlun Mountains, and on the northern slope of the Tanggula Mountains on the border of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Jinsha River from Weixi to Tiger Leaping Gorge is very good for rafting; it is very easy for the beginners of rafting experience. The Jinsha River becomes dangerous from Qiaotou to Daju, which is the deepest Tiger Leaping Gorge in the world.

Enjoy the sunrise of the Jinsha River in the morning. After breakfast with a nice coffee and milk, continue the rafting to Shigu Old Town. You will raft through a big "S" turn in Stone Gate Pass, an millitary importance historically. Raft to the First Bend of the Yangtze River and Shigu Town. You will witness the wonder of the First Bend of the Yangtze River with a big turn from the southward to the east. You will finish the rafting in Shigu Port. Have a nice lunch in Jiangnan Restaurant in Shigu Town. Lunch with the natural river fish, wild vegitables, and local flavour.
 
After lunch, meet your driver and drive to Qiaotou Town, then start the trekking of Tiger Leaping Gorge. After 2 hours trekking, you will arrive at Naxi Family Guesthouse in Zhongnuoyu Village of Changsheng. Have a nice night in Naxi Family, a beautiful garden with typical Naxi style architecture. Prepare for the hard trekking to the 28 turns in the next day. If possible, you will have a bonfire party with local Naxi ethnic people in the courtyard.
 
--the First Bend of the Yangtze River
About 44 miles outside of Lijiang, unusual geological phenomenons force the Yangtze to make a sudden V-shaped bend and flow to the northeast. This extraordinary turn, nearly180-degrees, creates beautiful and marvelous views that startle the imagination. Here, the river is wide and the water flows in a gentle, slow pace. Large willow trees grow luxuriously alongside the river that is banked on both sides with lush, fertile deep green vegetation and immense, steep mountains that rise up from the river to touch the clouds in the blue sky above. The whole sight is like a wonderful landscape painting that never ends.

Your hiking trip starts from Naxi Family, the 28 zigzagging turns will be a real stuff. The 20km takes about 6-8 hours. From the top of "28 turns" on the high path further uphill to a place of altitude above 3000m, you can have a view of the panorama of the entire Gorge.
 
You will have lunch in Tea Horse Guesthouse, after lunch, continue the trekking to Halfway Guesthouse in Bendiwan Village which is at an altitude of 2500m, you get a magnificent view over the Yangtze River below and the Yulong Mountain right in front of you. For the keen photographer this trek provides a great opportunity to capture nature's best moments.
 
Trek about 2 hours from Bendiwan Village to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge. You will visit some nice valleys, Guanyin Waterfalls, Guanyin Temple, Bamboo Forests with some sheep and cows. You will arrive at Tina's Guesthouse to finish today's trekking. Have a good dinner in Tina's Guesthouse with a grand view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and JInsha River.
 

After early breakfast at Tina’s Guesthouse, you will walk down to visit the Middle Rapids of the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge. Trek from the Middle Rapids along the Jinsha River to Hetaoyuan for your lunch. After lunch, continue the walking along the easy road to Heika Village which is a traditional Naxi village face to Daju Town.
 
You will have a short break in Halong Men Inn which is a garden guesthouse with a nice view of Jinsha River in Heika Village. After Heike Village, you will walk down to the Old Ferry of Daju. Take the small boat to cross the Jinsha River and arrive in Daju Town. Explore Daju Town by yourself in the late afternoon.

Special Experience:Enjoy Impression Lijiang Ethnic Show in Ganhaizi Meadow (3100m)
You'll visit Ganhaizi Meadow, Baishui(White Water) River; take the chairlift to visit the Yak Meadow(3700M) in the Yulong Snow Mountain.
 
--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 cable cars in the mountain, the fist to the Glacier Park (4500M),the second to Spruce Meadow(3200M),the third to Yak Meadow(3700M).
 
You will have a simple lunch in Dongbala Restaurant in Ganhaizi Meadow, and then enjoy Impression Lijiang Ethnic Show directed by Zhang Yimou in the outdoors theater with the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as the background. In the afternoon, you'll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village; you’ll head for the scenic Black Dragon Pool and the Dongba Museum to explore the rich Naxi minority culture.

Optional Special Experience: the Naxi Orchestral Music in Naxi Concert
Shuhe Old Town is a charming town to visit for every client, because there is a traditional Naxi village where you can enjoy the drinking and food at the bank of the river in the farmland. You can rent a bike in Lijiang Old Town and ride to Shu about 5KM away from the Lijiang Old Town.

In the afternoon, you can visit the Wangu Pagoda on the top of the Lion Hill behind Lijiang Old Town; here you will have a wonderful panoramic view of Lijiang Old Town. You will walk down from the Lion Hill to Mu Chieftain’s Palace which is the local chieftain’s former residence.
 
-- The Old Town of Lijiang, a well-preserved old city of ethnic minorities with brilliant culture, is a central town of the Lijiang Autonomous County of the Naxi Ethnic Minority in Yunnan Province. Located on the plateau which is 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) above the sea level and embraced by the tree-covered Lion Mountain in the west, Elephant and Golden Row Mountains in the north, vast fertile fields in the southeast and crystal clear water running through, the old town looks like a big jade ink slab, therefore got the alias the Town of Big Ink Slab (Dayanzhen). It was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997 because of the exotic Naxi ethnic culture.
After dinner, you will an option to attend the Naxi Orchestral Music in Naxi Concert at night.

Transfer to Lijiang Airport for your next destination.
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