Nujiang Grand Canyon & Bingzhongluo 怒江大峡谷与丙中洛Nù Jiāng Dàxiágǔ yǔ Bǐngzhōngluò

Why go to Nujiang Grand Canyon & Bingzhongluo

North of Liuku, the Nu River, the upper Salween, cuts a deep, narrow canyon between the Gaoligong and Biluo ranges, both topping 4,000 m, and a road follows it for nearly 300 km past Lisu and Nu villages perched on the slopes. At its northern end, around Bingzhongluo, the valley widens into farmland on broad river terraces, the river swings round a cliff in the horseshoe-shaped First Bend, and walkers can follow an old caravan path cut into the cliffs to the Nu village of Wuli.

The story

The canyon is the heartland of the Nu and Derung (Dulong) peoples, while the Lisu are its largest group, and around Bingzhongluo the Catholic church at Chongding and the Tibetan Buddhist Puhua Temple lie a short drive apart. The 1.5-km cliff path near Wuli is part of the old Tea Horse Road, which carried tea, salt and grain between Gongshan and Tibet for centuries and is now a protected national monument.

What to see at Nujiang Grand Canyon & Bingzhongluo

• First Bend of the Nu River 怒江第一湾: Where the river sweeps round in a U-shaped loop below Bingzhongluo, hemmed in by steep slopes. Viewpoints above the bend show it in a single frame.
• Stone Gate Pass 石门关: A pair of vertical cliffs squeezing the river north of Bingzhongluo, said to be about 500 m high and 200 m across the gap.
• Chongding Catholic Church 重丁教堂: A Catholic church in Chongding village, part of the area's long mix of faiths.
• Wuli village and the tea-horse trail 雾里村: A village reached on foot along the old caravan path cut into the cliffs. The walk shows the canyon from a gentler angle than the road.

How to visit Nujiang Grand Canyon & Bingzhongluo

Bingzhongluo is the natural base: the First Bend, Stone Gate and Chongding church are all within a short drive, and the Wuli walk fills a half day on foot. Hire a car with a driver who knows the road, since public transport is thin, and plan the walk for the morning.

How to get to Nujiang Grand Canyon & Bingzhongluo

From Dali, Liuku (Lushui) is about 4.5 hours by road, or take the train to Baoshan (about an hour) and the Baoshan–Lushui expressway on to Liuku. The canyon road then runs nearly 300 km north to Bingzhongluo, a 6–7-hour drive or a long day by bus.

Where to stay

Base yourself in Bingzhongluo town, which has guesthouses close to the main sights; if arriving from Liuku, break the long drive with a stop in Fugong or Gongshan.

What to eat

• Lacquer-oil chicken 漆油鸡: Chicken cooked in oil pressed from wild lacquer-tree seeds, a canyon speciality. Lacquer oil can cause allergic reactions in some people.
• Stone-slab baba 石板粑粑: A thin cake of buckwheat flour and brown sugar baked on a heated stone slab, traditional food of the Nu and Dulong people of Gongshan.

Tips for visiting Nujiang Grand Canyon & Bingzhongluo

• Carry your passport: police checkpoints along the canyon road check travellers' ID.
• The Dulong valley west of Gongshan is a border area where foreign visitors may need a border permit or may not be admitted, and the road north from Bingzhongluo into Tibet requires Tibet travel permits; check current rules with a licensed agency before planning either.
• Rain from May to September often brings landslides on the canyon road, so leave spare days and avoid driving after dark.

Nearby

• Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng 梅里雪山与雨崩 50 km
  Yunnan's highest peak, sacred and unclimbed, with a trek to a village beneath its glaciers
• Shangri-La & Songzanlin Monastery 香格里拉松赞林寺 110 km
  A golden-roofed Tibetan monastery stacked up a hillside, nicknamed 'Little Potala'

Also within 30 km: Cizhong Catholic Church 茨中教堂 (30 km).

On the map

Open Nujiang Grand Canyon & Bingzhongluo on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia: Salween River