Photo of the Week: The Nujiang Valley 怒江峡谷
This photo taken in 2010 of the breath-taking scenery along the Nujiang Valley 怒江峡谷，near Bingzhongluo 丙中洛 in south west Yunnan.
For more on our trip to The Nujiang Valley click the numbers: 1 2 3 4
Tag: nujiang to tibet
Qiunatong last village before Tibet
Qiunatong 秋那通
Qiunatong last village before Tibet is China at its most spectacular. Magnificent scenery, fierce canines, and laid-back locals await you on your visit to Qiunatong 秋那通, one of the last villages in Yunnan云南 before you enter Tibet西藏.
Barring a few hamlets, Yunnan province virtually ends at Qiunatong. At least all paved roads end here ( this has now changed). If you walk or cycle west of here for a day or so, you’ll find end up in Tibet proper. That is if you don’t stumble upon a Chinese border security post!
The Village
The Nu village 怒族 of Qiunatong is an attractive collection of large wooden farm houses set amongst Continue reading “Qiunatong last village before Tibet”
Dong Feng Tibetan Village
Dong Feng 东风 (Bingzhongluo 丙中洛-Nujiang Valley怒江谷)
Dong Feng Tibetan Village offers one of the easiest day trips from Bingzhongluo 丙中洛. Head north out of town along the main road and you’ll soon find yourself on a wide dirt tract with a river running below it.
Continue for a few meters and the path veers sharply left; all of a sudden, Bingzhongluo has disappeared and Dong Feng comes into view.
Dong Feng Tibetan Village: A stunning Walk: So Close yet so far
Unfortunately, distances around here are deceptive. The steepness of the mountain slopes makes everything look closer than it actually is, and the path to Dong Feng is no exception.
As you enter the valley, the village looks tantalisingly close, sitting there directly in front of you, a mere stone’s throw away, but alas, on the other side of the river.
Continue reading “Dong Feng Tibetan Village”Bingzhongluo Gateway to Tibet
Bingzhongluo Gateway to Tibet 丙中洛
Bingzhongluo Gateway to Tibet: Arriving
Bingzhongluo Gateway to Tibet is reached by the beautiful road from Gongshan 贡山 (see previous article). The road ends at the one-street town of Bingzhongluo 丙中洛 (Bingzhongluo has expanded in recent years).
It is difficult to find a town in a more remote place in China that is accessible by road on public transport. More than 350 kilometres separate this outpost from Liuku 六库, the town at the mouth of the Nujiang valley 怒江谷, from where there are connections to the rest of Yunnan Province 云南省.
Arrive on a sunny morning, and you will find Bingzhongluo bustling with ethnic minorities shopping for provisions or chatting with friends.
Bingzhongluo Gateway to Tibet: The Nujiang River
Take in the town’s dramatic location, set below the magnificent slopes of the snow-capped mountains gleaming in their various shades of radiant green, and above the raging waters of the Nujiang River, seemingly in a frenetic rush to reach Myanmar and empty itself in the Bay of Bengal, and you can easily imagine you’ve arrived in the Shangri-La of James Hilton’s Lost Horizon.
On the other hand, should you arrive in Bingzhongluo late on a rainy, damp and misty evening, make your way past the flooded pot holes, dodge the mangy dogs fighting over scraps strewn across the street from the overturned bins, and you might ask yourself why you’d made the effort to get there.
As always, the truth about Bingzhongluo lies somewhere in the middle. It’s a kilometre long stretch of old wooden shacks, hastily built concrete shops, and China’s trademark white- tile administrative buildings. And yet, Continue reading “Bingzhongluo Gateway to Tibet”