Rugged Scenery at the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡

I was astounded to see the rugged beauty of the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge. Most of the photos I would see all show the raging waters of the Yangtze River at the Tiger Leaping Gorge but I never expected this kind of raw beauty here. I have been to a lot of Chinese river scenery and I could say that they are certainly very varied. The Li River at Yangshou is one of the classic Chinese river scenes as well as floating though the canals of Zhouzhuang in Jiangsu brings you back to a more relaxed era. However, the wild river here at the Tiger Leaping Gorge is another kind of river scene as well.

I have heard of the Yangtze River cruise in Chongqing municipality but didn’t really pay much attention to it. It explores the Three Gorges area and it is one of the most spectacular scenery in Chongqing. It is located downstream of this river and one of the more popular activities in the area, unfortunately, I don’t know how the construction of the Three Gorges Dam has affected the gorge there. When I visited Chongqing, the waters of the river there were disturbingly low, I might have been due to the massive dam that was constructed there. Fortunately, efforts to construct another dam upstream in Yunnan province have been met with resistance. The Tiger Leaping Gorge is a protected area and it is part of the Three Parallel Rivers UNESCO World Heritage list. A dam would undoubtedly change the ecology of this place which is known for its vast diversity. Fortunately, wiser heads have prevailed.

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