Tiger Leaping Gorge, located 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Lijiang City, Yunnan province in southwestern China, is a scenic canyon on the Jinsha River (Golden Sands River; Jīnshā Jiāng), a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River. The Jinsha River is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the world’s deepest river canyons. The origin of its name and that of the Jinsha River is based on a legend which is beautifully described by Jack Li in his blog here. This area is known for the geological phenomenon known as karst, and has long caves which measure up to 1.2 km in length (e.g. the Shuilian cave), 100 meters above the river level.
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