Live Your Best Lives
Visitors to this area describe it as a paradise where humans and gods coexist. Following the Nu River northward through the Grand Canyon, along the ancient Yunnan-Tibet Highway, one can still trace traces of the horse caravans of yesteryear. Here, diverse religions blend, and multiple ethnic groups live side by side. As you journey along the millennia-old Tea-Horse Road, you'll be captivated by the breathtaking scenery, marveling at the Nu River surging through the cliffs and canyons, the majestic churches and temples, the quiet villages nestled in the fields, the lush primeval forests, and the towering, majestic snow-capped mountains.
Tips:
religious taboos
Bingzhongluo is a place where multiple religions (Christianity, Catholicism, Tibetan Buddhism, and primitive religions) coexist harmoniously, and various ethnic groups (Nu, Dulong, Lisu, Tibetan, etc.) coexist harmoniously. This has created a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural environment, where they blend and thrive together. This "paradise" of Bingzhongluo's countryside, stone dwellings, and snow-capped mountains complement each other. When visiting, please be mindful to respect the customs and beliefs of the local people. (For example, when visiting a farmer's home, do not throw garbage into the fire pit—it is a sacred place for them and is generally off-limits to outsiders. Do not step on, cross over, or move a tripod over the fire pit. Photography requires prior permission.)
2. Carrying suggestions
Local cuisine is mostly ethnically diverse, so it may be difficult for some to adapt to the local climate at first. Please bring some snacks and fruit. To prevent acclimatization, please bring some common medications, such as Baijiahei, Band-Aids, and Fluphenazine. You can also bring small items like stationery and candy for the local children. Disinfectant wipes will make your trip easier. There are no ATMs in the village, so please bring some cash. If you have dietary restrictions, please bring your own snacks.
3. Internet access
Just like post offices, this service is available in county-level cities and above. However, if you're carrying a portable hard drive and want to transfer digital photos to it at an internet cafe, please note that most internet cafes along the way won't offer this service. It's best to bring a camera companion, extra memory cards, or a regular camera.
4. Rattan Bridge
This bridge is made of woven rattan strips. It looks a bit like a long, thin net bag. When someone walks on it, the weight of their body shifts, causing the bridge to sway left and right and up and down. Crossing such a bridge also requires courage and bravery.
5. Zipline
The zipline is one of the bridges connecting the two banks of the Nu River, and it's a common sight among the many bridges along the river. People crossing the river glide across it, their lives hanging on a zipline and a pulley that pulls them forward. They even carry livestock to market or bicycles for use on flat roads.
6. The Nujiang River Bridge
The bridges on the Nu River not only provide convenient transportation, but also form a unique cultural landscape. For travelers, the bridges on the Nu River have full cultural significance and should not be missed.
7. Clothing Guide
Nujiang's weather is highly variable, with significant temperature swings between day and night. Ultraviolet rays are also quite strong. After the arrival of spring, sporadic drizzles often occur, and accommodations may become damp. Therefore, it's recommended to bring a fleece jacket, thick coat, pants, a simple raincoat, or an umbrella. If you're traveling with a camera, be sure to protect your digital equipment from the rain. Those with sensitive skin should wear sunscreen to protect their skin from UV damage.
Bingzhongluo is beautiful in all seasons: in spring, you can enjoy wildflowers, in summer, you can admire the river, in autumn, you can explore the countryside, and in winter, you can enjoy the snowy scenery. However, due to the heavy rain in summer and spring, the roads are prone to mudslides, so autumn and winter (September) are the best times to visit.
Facial tattooing is a unique custom among Dulong women. While there are many theories as to why, three theories have been categorized: one is a coming-of-age ceremony for Dulong girls at the age of twelve or thirteen; another is totem worship; and a third is a way to escape capture by Tibetan chieftains. Today, the tradition of facial tattooing among Dulong women in Nujiang has been lost, with only a few dozen remaining. It's said that the practice will be revived in the future through face veneer treatment.
A primitive form of transportation still survives on the Dulong River: the zipline. Due to the inconvenient transportation in the past, locals invented this river crossing method. People use it to cross the Nu River, paddle through the surging waters, and freely navigate the deep canyons. Although suspension bridges have been built in many places across the Dulong River, passing tourists can still see the zipline stretched across the cliffs. It has gradually become a traditional ethnic sport and a tourist attraction.
Known as the "Grand Canyon of the East," the Nujiang River boasts magnificent scenery, lush bamboo forests, and mist-shrouded mountains, and boasts abundant tourism resources. Nujiang Grand Canyon, Bingzhongluo, Stone Moon, Pihe Flying Stone, Biluo Snow Mountain, the First Bend of the Nujiang River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Wild Ox Valley, Jiangxin Pines, Dulong River, Luoguqing, and the Laowo Tusi Yamen are among the most famous attractions in the Nujiang region, yet they are rarely visited.
The Nu River and its tributary, the Dulong River, still boast a variety of bridges, including zip lines, vine bridges, and iron chain bridges. Once known as the world's most dangerous bridge, it's a living bridge museum. It's the third largest canyon in the world, after the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon and the Grand Canyon in the United States. Bingzhongluo, known as a place where "humans and gods coexist," is also a must-see. The famous First Bend of the Nu River lies just south of Bingzhongluo. There were originally many temple complexes, but they were razed to the ground during the "Four Olds" campaign and the Cultural Revolution, leaving only ruins.
Bingzhongluo, meaning "the place where Tibetans live" in Tibetan and "a paradise" in Lisu, is located in the northernmost part of Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture. It borders Zayu County in Tibet to the north, Deqin County in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to the east, the Dulong River and Myanmar to the west, and Gongshan County to the south. Bingzhongluo is a rare impact dam in the heart of the "Three Parallel Rivers" region and a rare open area in the Nujiang Grand Canyon. It is home to the highest concentration of the Nu ethnic group in China. Originally inhabited by the Nu people, there were only three Nu villages in the entire Bingzhongluo basin: Jiasheng, Chongding, and Dala. Since the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, when Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Bingzhongluo by the Tibetan lama Du Gongji and took root there, numerous Tibetans have migrated from Tibet, Deqin, Zhongdian, and other areas to become the primary inhabitants. Bingzhongluo was originally named "Bi Zhong", which means "Tibetan village" in Tibetan. The local Nu people called it "Mabai Klau". After the Lisu people migrated from the Lancang River Basin and the lower reaches of Nujiang River to settle here, they added the sound of "Luo" to the original "Bi Zhong", which means "Qing" or "place", so it evolved from "Bi Zhong" to "Bi Zhongluo".
Address: Bingzhongluo Township, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture
Transportation: You can take a minibus from Gongshan County or Liuku, the capital of Nujiang Prefecture.
Reference time: 1 day
Tips: Climb Gongdang Mountain before 2:00 PM. The best time to view the Nujiang River's first bend is before the mountain's shadow obscures the river. The best viewing point is the Yangzhi Jade Factory. Qiunatong is a small village surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Cars are inaccessible, requiring a four-hour walk from Chongding Village. It's best to have a local guide to avoid detours. A round trip in a day or overnight stay in Qiunatong is possible. Accommodation is available in Qiunatong.
The Nujiang River flows through the vicinity of Ridan Village in Bingzhongluo Township. Blocked by the Wangqing cliffs, the river changes its direction from north to south to east to west. After flowing for more than 300 meters, it is blocked by the Dala Mountains and turns sharply from west to east again, thus forming a large semicircular bay, which is the first bay of the Nujiang River.
Address: 4 kilometers south of Bingzhongluo Township Government, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture
Transportation: Take a bus
Reference time: 1 hour
Also known as Peach Blossom Island, Zanatong, and Zalatong, it sits in the center of the First Bend of the Nu River, on a small peninsula-like plain surrounded by water on three sides. Kantong Village, a small Nu village, means "a place where bamboo grows." The surrounding scenery is beautiful, with peach trees planted throughout. Every spring, pink peach blossoms bloom, filling the entire island, earning the name Zanatong Village Peach Blossom Island. During the off-season and holidays, people flock here for boating, singing, and dancing. Kantong Village is known as the Peach Garden of the Canyon, a harmonious and beautiful landscape of mountains, rivers, and pastoral scenery.
Address: Bingzhongluo Township, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture
Transportation: Walking
Reference time: 1 day
Puhua Temple, also known as the Lama Temple, is a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Nujiang and holds significant local importance. Within the temple, a clay Buddha statue stands between two tigers and a lion. Eleven murals adorn the corridors and interior walls, along with 2,000 smaller "Songji" paintings. The entire temple is built in Tibetan style, simple yet quaint. While the temple is usually closed, the main events at Puhua Temple, the "Ge Dou Festival" from the 25th to the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month and the "Youjing Festival" on the 15th day of the sixth lunar month, are bustling with activity.
Address: Kantong Village, Bingzhongluo Township, Gongshan County, Nujiang
Cost: No entrance fee required, just some money for temple maintenance
Getting there: On foot or by car
Reference time: 1 hour
Shimen Pass is actually the gorge of the Nu River, known locally as "Naiyi Qiang," meaning a pass difficult even for gods to pass. The Nu River, reaching this point, bursts forth, making a small bend before flowing to Bingzhongluo. Five Tibetan characters are carved into the rock face of Shimen Pass. Two stone pendants, shaped like umbrellas, flank the sides and are known as "stone umbrellas." A unique palm tree, a rare and endemic plant found only in the world, survives to this day, with only a few hundred remaining. From 2001 to 2004, around the Dragon Boat Festival, several large pythons of various colors emerged from the cave to bask in the sun. The longest was about 10 meters long. The appearance of these giant pythons has further enshrined the mystery of Bingzhongluo. Records of giant pythons at Shimen Pass date back as far as 300 years, as early as in Buddhist scriptures, with the most recent sighting occurring 50 years ago. Legend has it that the Tibetan characters carved into the rock face of Shimen Pass are Buddhist mantras meant to ward off evil spirits, which the local indigenous people call "dragons."
Address: Bingzhongluo Township, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture
Getting there: Walk or drive about 1.5 kilometers north from Chongding Village to Shimen Pass
Reference time: 1 hour
Chongding Church is the most famous church in Bingzhongluo. Construction began in 1904 by Ren Anshou, the French missionary responsible for the "Baihanluo Incident," modeled after a Catholic church in Hong Kong. It was magnificent and beautiful. Later, it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt on the original site in 1996. It is smaller than the original and now boasts a simple interior, consisting of a few long wooden benches and faded paintings on the walls. Behind the church, shaded by greenery, stands a small, unadorned tomb where the priest who built the church is buried.
Address: Chongding Village, Bingzhongluo Township, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture (eastern part of Bingzhongluo Township)
Cost: The key to the church is in Aunt Ding's hands, and the entrance fee is 5 yuan.
Transportation: Walk or take a minibus
Reference time: 1 hour
Wuli, also known as Wengli and Wuli, is a small village on the ancient Tea-Horse Road. Visitors to this area call it "Swiss Pastoral Scenery." The scenery is picturesque, with Nu people's wooden houses scattered across the fields. Smoke curls from cooking fires, creating a tranquil and harmonious beauty.
Address: Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture (across the Nujiang River on the way to Qiunatong)
Getting there: Walk about 2 kilometers along the upper reaches of the Nu River
Reference time: half a day
Qiunatong Village is the last village at the northern end of the Nujiang Grand Canyon. Qiunatong Canyon is the essence of the entire Nujiang Grand Canyon. It has dense virgin forests and numerous waterfalls. The scenery along the way is very spectacular as you walk through the canyon.
Address: Qiunatong Village, Nu Autonomous County
Getting there: It is about 17 kilometers from Bingzhongluo to Qiunatong. Cars can only go as far as Shimenguan, and the rest of the distance must be walked.
Reference time: 1 day
Nujiang Laomudeng Christian Church is located along the Nujiang Gorge. Wherever there are villages, you can find churches built by French missionaries, still used by villagers for worship. Although the gorge is home to Nu, Lisu, Bai, Han, Tibetan, and other ethnic groups, the vast majority share a common faith in Christianity. Only a small number of people maintain their original beliefs, such as the Dongba religion of the Lisu and Tibetan Buddhism.
Address: Pihe Nuzu Township, Fugong County
Transportation: Minibus
Reference time: half an hour
Ticket price: 10 yuan
Opening hours: 08:00 - 17:00
Zhiziluo means "good place" in the Lisu language. This once prosperous city has become an outcast, its once dazzling glory fading with it. From being the prefecture capital and Bijiang County government, Zhiziluo has plummeted to become Zhiziluo Village in Pihe Township, Fugong County, Nujiang Prefecture. Known as the City of Memory, come and explore, reminisce, and simply daydream. The village, part of Pihe Nu Township, Fugong County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, lies east of Pihe Township, bordering Lanping Bai and Pumi Autonomous County to the east, Puluo Village to the south, Jiajiu Village to the west, and Shawa Village to the north. Access to the township is via a dirt road, making transportation easy. The village is impoverished, with farmers' income primarily derived from crops and animal husbandry.
Road is currently the only way to reach Nujiang River.
coach
Liuku has two passenger stations: Jiangdong Passenger Station (operating long-distance buses and intra-county rural buses) and Jiangxi Passenger Station (operating Fugong and Gongshan buses, as well as long-distance minibuses). Both stations are managed under a unified management and offer ticket sales to each other. Buses (circumferential buses cost 0.5 yuan, other buses cost 1 yuan) and taxis (5 yuan) are available between the two stations.
Liuku-Bingzhongluo
Shuttle buses to Liuku, the capital of Nujiang Prefecture, are available from Kunming West Passenger Station, Dali Xiaguan Passenger Station, and Baoshan Passenger Transport Center. These journeys take approximately 10 hours, 5 hours, and 3.5 hours, respectively. Direct buses from Liuku to Bingzhongluo are relatively rare.
Liuku-Gongshan-Bingzhongluo
There are minibuses from Liuku to Gongshan, which take about 8 hours and cost 35 yuan. From Gongshan County, you can take a minibus, which costs 8 yuan and takes about 2 hours to reach Bingzhongluo.
Transportation in Bingzhongluo is simple, mainly provided by charter vans driven by locals. Both farm vehicles and small vans can run to Qiunatong, usually 10 yuan per person.
Bingzhongluo Township is home to ten ethnic groups, including the Nujiang, Dai, Tibetan, and Dulong peoples. Primitive religions, Tibetan Buddhism, and Christianity coexist here, creating a multi-ethnic community characterized by the coexistence of three religions. With the introduction of Christianity in the early 20th century, Bingzhongluo's ethnic groups embraced a diverse range of religious beliefs.
Flower Festival
The locals have a magical vision of the canyons and snow-capped mountains, and many legends about the cliffs, stone walls, and caves are circulated among the people. Worshiping the Rock God is one of the most important activities of the Gongshan Nu people, and the Rock God is one of the oldest beliefs in the Nujiang River.
Date: March 15th of the lunar calendar
Venue: Local Nu village
Koto Festival
During the local Tibetan festival, lamas from Puhua Temple perform Lama dance in the square to thank the gods and ghosts for the devout believers, to welcome blessings and good fortune, to ward off evil and evil spirits, to avoid disasters and pray for good weather in the coming year.
Date: 25th to 29th day of the twelfth lunar month
Venue: Puhua Temple
Youjing Festival
Early in the morning, pilgrims from the villages of Bingzhongluo Township arrived at Puhua Temple. Four men blew conch shells and struck gongs. Seven others carried a golden Buddha statue, and 73 women carried scriptures on their backs. The group journeyed along the winding path beside the Nu River, chanting the Longevity Sutra and reciting the Six-Syllable Mantra. The sounds of chanting, trumpets, and conch shells echoed through the valley. Wherever they arrived, the villagers would burn grain and pine smoke, blow conch shells and horns, and come out to greet them, offering them barley wine.
Date: 15th day of the sixth lunar month
Venue: Puhua Temple
Nongward Road
During the Dulong New Year, each extended family uses carved wooden knotted ropes as invitations to invite guests for several days of celebration. On the first day, women hang carefully woven, colorful linen cloths from bamboo poles above their homes, symbolizing the family's prosperity. At night, guests and hosts drink and exchange greetings. The second day features a hunting ceremony and worship of the mountain god, accompanied by singing and dancing. On the final day, the cattle-stealing ceremony is held, a truly unique ethnic event and the most joyful and solemn part of the festival.
Held between October and December of the lunar calendar, the "New Year" month, the festival lasts from two to three days to five days. There is no fixed date for the festival; each village chooses its own date.
Nujiang Prefecture's food tends to favor the spicy and sour flavors of the Dai people. Bingzhongluo Town offers a limited selection of restaurants, with most meals provided by local farmhouses, often with integrated accommodations. Laowo Ham in Gongshan County is excellent, and there's also a wide selection of wild vegetables and mushrooms. You should also try the Dulong people's traditional hospitality delicacy, fat meat.
Meat wine and eggnog
A beloved and nourishing food of the Nujiang people, meat wine and egg wine are called "Xia La" and "Gong La" in the Nujiang language, which translate to "wine made with meat" and "wine made with eggs" in Chinese. This meticulously crafted wine boasts a fresh and fragrant aroma, with a moderate sweetness and spiciness, and boasts the unique benefits of nourishing the body and strengthening bones and tendons.
Slate Baba
Slate is a type of bluish-black shale unique to the region. Stones are typically pried from cliffs sheltered from the wind and shade. After being pried down with a pry bar, the appropriately sized pieces are cut and trimmed with a knife, carried down the mountain, and polished. They are then placed over a fire pit and baked for a month or two, drying out the moisture before being used. Once the slate is heated over the fire, it transforms from being soft and easily chipped into a solid, dense hardness, resistant to fire or cracking under water. A thin layer of ash is sprinkled on top, a traditional non-stick pan recipe passed down from our ancestors. A paste made from wild sweet buckwheat flour is poured onto the slate and baked. As the fire heats the slate, the aroma of a burnt buckwheat cake emanates from the pores around the edges. Once cooked, the cake is dipped in a little honey—wild honey from the Nujiang Gorge. The canyon's natural landscape, where everything converges within a single mountain, imbues the honey with a rich, sweet flavor, a blend of the burnt buckwheat aroma and the mellow sweetness of wild honey. On your tongue, you'll experience the flavor of summer in the Nujiang River. The authentic slate baba can be eaten at Qiu Natong.
Wine-braised chicken
The chicken, boneless, is chopped into pieces and stir-fried in oil. A generous amount of baijiu (about two to three pounds of liquor per chicken) is added. Salt is generally omitted, with only wild Sichuan peppercorns added. The chicken flavor and aroma permeate the wine, resulting in a delicious and savory dish. Wine-braised poached eggs are similarly prepared, typically using ten eggs and one pound of liquor.
Sour bamboo shoots
Tender, mountain-grown bamboo shoots are dug in early summer, peeled, sliced, and dried in the sun to create a dried vegetable (called "Meihao" in the Dulong language). Soaked in hot water before consumption, they are often used to stir-fry meat and make soups, offering a delicious and refreshing flavor. To make sour bamboo shoots, fresh bamboo shoots are chopped and beaten until soft. The bamboo shoots are then sealed in a bamboo tube with banana leaves and placed in a stream. After several days, they ferment and become sour. The tubes are then dried and made into sour bamboo soup, a popular summer dish for relieving summer heat and quenching thirst.
Here, you'll find the wonders of the Three Parallel Rivers; the ancient Tea-Horse Road, a fusion of tea culture and ethnic minority cultures; unique villages, despite difficult transportation, some even lacking roads. These factors have made this region virtually uncommercialized, allowing you to truly experience the tranquility of a journey. Nu, Pumi, Lisu, Dulong, and other ethnic groups converge here, and you'll be greeted by an unprecedented warmth. Here, you'll find stunning cliffs, abundant flora and fauna, a turquoise emerald green looming through the mountains, and a misty sea of clouds between the peaks and villages, creating a fairyland-like experience: a paradise where humans and gods coexist.
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