Off the Beaten Path: Yunnan Province, China

From the mountains which meet the border of Tibet through to the Vietnam and Laos borders and the endless rice fields, Yunnan has probably the most diversity in all of China. Winters are cold, summers are hot. Instead of staying in touristy Lijiang head out to Shuhe and spend a night in an old style Chinese village away from all the tourists. Shuhe even has a “Pub Street” and a Food Market, as well as being a spot to truly relax and breathe in Yunnan’s charm. In winter months, it gets cold here and acts as a gateway to the impressive Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The Tiger Leaping Gorge trek, near Lijiang in Yunnan, is one of the finest treks through some of the most naturally beautiful and diverse landscapes China has to offer. The trail runs high on the northern side of the gorge passing through quiet villages, shady forest, blustery precipice and verdant terraced farmland. The snow covered peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain shadow either side of the gorge.

If you prefer to visit without any strenuous hiking, a road along the south side of the gorge enters from the west and goes for a over a mile before stopping at a parking lot. After that there is a fairly level paved trail to Upper Tiger Leaping stone. Tours can be arranged in Lijiang or you can try to hire a driver to take you as a day trip from Lijiang, though drivers from Lijiang are not allowed to cross the river as that's outside their allowed territory.

Luoping, Yunnan Province
The yellow canola fields in springtime make Luoping a feast for the lover of nature. As well as visiting the two viewing points of “Screw Tin” and “Jin Ji Cun”, there is also a very unknown national park with the most amazing waterfalls. The Nine Dragons Waterfalls are mostly crowded with Chinese tourists, so you’ll be the only foreigner in sight if you head there. There are a load of hikes in the national park as well as a cable car ride.

The Huangshan Waterfalls is a spectacular tourist spot, with three waterfalls as the most famous ones, namely the Jiulong Waterfall (Nine-dragon Waterfall), the Renzi Waterfall, and the Baizhang Waterfall.

The Jiulong Waterfall is situated between the Luohan Peak and the Xianglu Peak, hanging down from cliffs thousands of meters high. It has nine curves, each forming a pool underneath. Therefore, the waterfall is made up of nine cascades and nine pools, known as Nine-Dragon Waterfall. After heavy rain, the rushing waterfall looks like nine white dragons, flying down from the sky.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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