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The magical 30° north latitude seems to be the birthplace of "extraordinary". In the southwest of our country, there is such a unique original secret land, full of unpolished beauty.
The extremely dangerous mountains and canyons, the emerald rivers, and the unfathomable forests have isolated this place from the outside world for thousands of years, and the word "mysterious" has become its eternal label and synonym.
Until the opening of the most beautiful Yunnan-Tibet Highway and the completion of the rural road that took 50 years to build after overcoming countless obstacles, it was finally connected to the outside world, and the mystery of this place was slowly revealed!
Dulongjiang! We finally meet!
Design @ China-TravelNote
Since the Dulong River is not open all year round, even if it is open, there are only 200 places allowed to enter every day. Whether you can enter and see its true appearance depends entirely on luck, making this place the "last secret place in the southwest."
Tens of millions of years ago, the Indian Plate collided violently with the Eurasian Plate, causing the Himalayas to rise and the Hengduan Mountains to form, creating China's most complex and colorful geological wonder, the Three Parallel Rivers.
The Dulong River, hidden deep in the Gaoligong Valley, together with countless rivers in the Three Parallel Rivers area, flows through plateaus, mountains, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and finally flows into the Indian Ocean. It is on par with the Jinsha River, Lancang River, and Nujiang River, and is known as the "Fourth River."
During the three years of the epidemic, this place was only open for less than two months. Recently, a news about "Dulong River opening" went viral on WeChat Moments, making this originally niche and low-key paradise on earth active in front of the world again!
Picture @ Dulongjiang Tourist Area
Air tickets are also super cheap now. Departing from Hangzhou, a one-way ticket is as low as 450 yuan.
Friends who want to see the real thing, you have to seize the opportunity, otherwise you don’t know when it will be closed again!
In the past, the Dulong River was often blocked by heavy snow all year round, and people inside could only come out once every six months. But now, a Dulong River Tunnel connects the inside and outside worlds, and everyone who has been there says, "I have finally arrived in heaven."
For millions of years, the Dulong River has flowed between the Danglika Mountains and the Gaoligong Mountains, tumbling from one riverbed to the next before heading south. The lower reaches connected to Myanmar are surrounded by vast tropical rainforests and the majestic Moon Waterfall.
With its deep canyon, clear river water, lush vegetation and towering ancient trees, this place is recognized by experts as a "natural museum of wild plants". Gongshan three-piece shirt and Taiwania bald cypress grow quietly, while capped langurs, red gorals and bear monkeys live here safely.
As the journey progresses, we will get to know the ancient Dulong people. Face tattooing is an ancient custom of Dulong women and it is very rare. The patterns on women's faces look like butterflies with spread wings, or like beautiful mountains and rivers and blooming flowers.
At present, there are only more than 10 women with facial tattoos in Dulongjiang, and they are all relatively old. It would be a blessing if you could meet one.
A trip to Dulong River is not complete without visiting Pukawang. What you see, feel and touch here are all unprocessed and free from worldly influences.
You can also eat, live and work with the Dulong people, feel the Dulong history over the years, experience the harmony between man and nature, and intuitively feel the most primitive, authentic and ecological Dulong culture.
On the way to explore Dulong River, there are many natural and cultural landscapes worth visiting.
It flows from the Tanggula Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, enters Yunnan Province and turns south. Its most famous Nujiang Grand Canyon connects more than a dozen ethnic minorities including the Lisu, Dulong, and Nu in Nujiang Prefecture, Yunnan. Because it is rarely visited, the ancient folk customs are still preserved here.
Design @ China-TravelNote
Autumn and winter are the most beautiful time of year in the Nujiang River area. In autumn, the area is covered in a fiery red, while in winter, the river and the sky are all silver-white. It’s just right to go now!
Bingzhongluo, a small town at the northernmost tip of Nujiang Prefecture, nestled among fields, sometimes appears and disappears in the mist. On clear days, Gawa Gap reveals its true face behind it. Everything appears peaceful and untouched.
Wuli Village, located in Bingzhongluo, is also known as the "Poetic Pastoral Switzerland of the East". It is one of the few well-preserved traditional villages in Nujiang River. To enter, you need to walk along the ancient Tea-Horse Road hanging by the river.
The small flat land in the mountains has been transformed into green fields by people. The wooden houses built in the fields and the fruit trees and fir trees next to the houses together form a poetic picture, giving people the illusion of being in Switzerland.
The Nujiang River in winter is full of rippling green waves and is gentle and subtle, especially the green water near Bingzhongluo Township, Gongshan County, which is so beautiful that it makes people intoxicated.
Maybe you haven’t heard of this place, but you must have seen the “Internet celebrity photos” here somewhere. The winding river water surrounds the horseshoe-shaped peninsula, which is the first bay of Nujiang River!
The Nujiang River, which has not been cultivated, is rarely visited by tourists, but we will also take you to an exclusive viewing platform to overlook the most exquisite scenery of the Nujiang Canyon.
From Gongdang Sacred Mountain, overlooking the first bend of the Nujiang River, we took in the beauty of Bingzhongluo. With pious hearts, we walked past Puhua Temple and, at Gawagapu Snow Mountain, the highest point of Gaoligong Mountain, silently muttered to ourselves, "How beautiful! I'm here!"
Turn off the scenic Yunnan-Tibet Highway and head up about ten kilometers to Laomudeng, halfway up the Biluo Snow Mountain at an altitude of 1,800 meters! Laomudeng means "a place of longing" in the Nu language. It sits quietly, awaiting the world's admiration.
At seven o'clock in the morning, the clear sound of the bells of the Old Muden Church spread throughout the village along with the breeze in the canyon. The lingering sound lingered in the canyon for a long time.
In the afternoon, groups of Nu people moved towards Laomudeng along the rugged mountain roads on both sides of the Nujiang River.
As night falls, under the pitch-black sky, this place seems to transform into another vast world. Hymns are sung in the mountains and valleys, and even the most turbulent emotions can be soothed by these pure sounds. Stars twinkle in the sky, and we chat and laugh.
Zhiziluo, the former capital of Nujiang Prefecture, was abandoned after a collective relocation due to geological disaster predictions. Here, time seems to have stood still in the 1970s, and you can occasionally spot some residents who are reluctant to leave.
The small town sits on a ridge at an altitude of 2,023 meters at the western foot of Biluo Snow Mountain. From a distance, it appears shrouded in mist, creating a dreamy and romantic scene. As a secluded paradise within the Nujiang Grand Canyon, Zhiziluo stands out as a tranquil retreat, serene and tranquil compared to the turbulent Nujiang River.
Looking along the road, credit unions, supply and marketing cooperatives... these long-vanished buildings from the 1980s are lined up on both sides of the road. The old slogans that can be seen in the background and the cracks in the buildings covered with weeds seem to be telling of the prosperity of the past.
Heading east from Zhiziluo, across the Biluo Snow Mountain, it takes a day to reach the Lancang River. This is an ancient road leading in and out of the Nu River, and was also an important passage for the ancient Nu and Lisu peoples to migrate westward and into the Nu River basin.
It is not inferior to Duku, and you can experience four seasons in one day. It is also as exciting as Bingchacha, with heaven on the left and hell on the right. Therefore, it was officially recognized as the "most beautiful self-driving line in northwest Yunnan" before it was opened.
It is less than 100 kilometers long, but it crosses three rivers all the way. The scenery has gone through the beauty of the four seasons, and it gathers canyon snow-capped mountains, glacier jungles, plateau wetlands, freshwater lakes, rare animals and plants and other wonders along the way.
This brand new scenic avenue is little known and hard to find on the map. It is beautiful at every step and stunning at every section. It is the only road between Deqin and Gongshan - Degong Highway.
Nuodeng, with a history of thousands of years, is the oldest village in western Yunnan, but it has not been overdeveloped and therefore has never been crowded with tourists.
There are many villages here, shaded by flowers and towering ancient trees. Under the warm sun, the elderly are enjoying their afternoon leisure and slow time, which makes the passing tourists reluctant to disturb them.
Nuodeng prospered because of salt and declined because of salt. The development of the salt industry gave rise to the production of ham. The special salt and climatic conditions created the unique taste of Nuodeng ham, which was featured on "A Bite of China" and became famous throughout the country.
Its craftsmanship and flavor have been passed down for thousands of years. Even if you are not a foodie, a bowl of delicious Yunnan tummy tuck can instantly open up a new world of taste for you.
In fact, most people know Wuliang Mountain because of Jin Yong's martial arts novel "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils". When the north ushers in the cold winter with falling snow, Wuliang Mountain is brewing an extremely romantic sea of flowers.
Every year in late November and early December, the winter cherry blossoms of Wuliang Mountain begin to bloom. During their blooming season, the pink blossoms against the green tea gardens appear particularly alluring, and at sunset or sunrise, the cherry blossoms appear even more enchanting.
In the Cherry Blossom Valley deep in Dali's Wuliang Mountain, there are 2,000 acres of open and winding land, outlining a romantic and dreamy oil painting.
We always believe that traveling is not only about seeing beautiful scenery, but also about experiencing and understanding. So!!! This time, we will take you to experience the antiquity and mystery of different ethnic groups!
The Dulong people believe in primitive religion and believe that all things have spirits. If we are really lucky enough, we may be able to see their evolved and integrated sacrificial activities, such as cattle slaughtering.
Picture @Dulongjiang Tourism Public Account
People formed a circle with the cow as the center, beating gongs, wielding knives and thatch, dancing and jumping, praying for the safety of people and animals and good weather. At night, people lit a bonfire, shared the beef, drank and chatted all night long!
Picture @Dulongjiang Tourism Public Account
The "bathhouse meeting," a unique traditional event of the Lisu people, has a history of over 400 years. People in their best clothes gather together to chat, sing, and dance, dancing and playing the pipa and mouth harp.
Men and women, young and old, gather in the steaming hot pool to wash away their fatigue and welcome good luck. The bathhouse meeting is also known as the "bathing paradise" by the locals.
When you come to Nujiang, you must go to Lamudeng, and when you come to Lamudeng, you must try the Nu ethnic minority pilaf here!
Rich ingredients, brilliant colors, multiple flavors, and bold and unrestrained eating methods allow people to enjoy a double feast of vision and taste at the same time, eating heartily and with great satisfaction!
Crossing the Chishui River on a zipline is thrilling and allows people to experience the excitement of being an "airman". Are you excited?
The Nu people's invention and use of ziplines is said to have been inspired by seeing spiders weaving webs and crawling back and forth between trees. The Nujiang Grand Canyon boasts steep cliffs, deep ravines, and swift currents. Without a bridge, how could they cross? Their ancestors devised a solution: a zipline strung between two mountains, creating a "Nujiang Sky Bridge."
Nowadays, ziplining is not just a means of transportation. Tourists also love to zipline across the Nujiang River and feel the excitement and satisfaction in the thrilling experience!
Only by experiencing the scenery in the distance in person can you feel the mystery and surprise. This time, let us go to Dulong River, see you there!
