A trip to Nujiang Grand Canyon
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Liu Xiaomei is a tourist from Beijing.
"When I fastened my safety belt at the beginning, I was a little bit scared. When sliding for more than 10 meters, I didn't feel frightened at all. I really enjoy the exciting experience in Nujiang, which definitely deserves its reputation."
No matter where you are in Nujiang, the river is always in sight. A varying current runs through it between the mountains.
Enclosed by cliffs on both sides most of the time, the river empties into a big semicircle bay in Dala, called the "Nujiang First Bay."
To some extent, the real appeal of Nujiang for tourists is the river, which is thundering and swift in summer and autumn, and pure and calm in spring and winter.
Li Wanlin is part of the management team at the Nujiang scenic area.
"Nujiang Bay is characterized by its U- shape from west to east, where a small island forms. When the sun comes out on the horizon, the cloud-enshrouded village and houses are all in blurry shapes. It's very beautiful, indeed."
In the north part of Bingzhongluo, Gaoligong Mountain and Biluo Snow Mountain huddle together on both sides of the river. Their steep cliffs extend to great heights. Here you can see a great Shimen clearance more than 500 meters high and about 200 meters wide. Local people call it "Nayiqiang" which means that even God has to make great effort to get through it.
Li Wanlin describes the Shimen clearance.
"The Shimen clearance is very magnificent and imposing. All the cliffs are all over 500 meters high. It can be seen as a huge gate from a distance, and it is also the major route for entering Tibet."
Bing-zhong-luo, regarded as "a haven of peace," has the most diverse natural sights in Nujiang region. At the foot of the mountains covered with snow year-round, crops are neatly arranged and promise a good harvest.
The steel-gray stone houses with smoke spiraling from their chimneys contrast pleasantly with the green and yellow crops and snow-white mountains. Such tranquil and idyllic scenery attracts numerous tourists who want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
A dozen years ago, a tourist from Guangzhou came to visit Bing-zhong-luo and was received warmly by a local woman. The picturesque scenery and hospitable people left him with a deep impression. After he left, he described his wonderful experiences in Bing-zhong-luo and highly praised the local people in comments he published online.
By word of mouth, Bing-zhong-luo has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. It now attracts increasing numbers of tourists from more than 10 countries, including the United States, Japan and Germany.
To make the tourists feel at home, the local ethnic people play host by offering good wine and signing toasting songs.
"This song depicts the happiness and merriment when local people welcome guests to visit their homes. They dance and sing songs to show their excitement."
Apart from the scenic spots mentioned above, there are also 20-some mountains that are more than 4,000 meters high in Nujiang Canyon.
The area's distinct vegetation and other flora stretch from the base of the mountains to their peaks. The canyon's scenery has no equivalent elsewhere on earth. It is extremely narrow and dangerous with its precipitous mountains and thundering water, and quite charming with its colorful ethnic customs.
