Raging River at the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡

Incredibly Turbulent River at the Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡

Incredibly Turbulent River at the Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡

It is almost unbelievable how powerful the Yangtze River is at this point in the Tiger Leaping Gorge. This part is probably the narrowest part of the gorge and thus the most trubulent. Imagine the huge volume of water trying to force its way through the narrow gorge, much like squeezing the mouth of a hose. The results are simply spectacular. The water is almost looks like it is continuously boiling but it is not hot. I have read that there have been attempts to navigate this part of the river and as one would expect, most didn’t end successfully. There was only one known successful navigation of the entire length of the Yangtze River. This part is naturally the most dangerous part.

Care for a Swim at the Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡

Care for a Swim at the Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡

One would wonder why the Tiger Leaping Gorge was named so. It was said that someone once saw a tiger leap from a rock from the other side of the gorge crossing the river. The rock is now called Tiger Leaping Rock. Whether the story is true or not, is anyone’s guess. But looking at the width of the river and you can probably tell that it is simply not possible to do so. Perhaps the gorge didn’t look like this in the past and the older rocks have already been washed away?

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