11Day-Nujiang River Grand Canyon and Donglongjiang River Valley Trekking Tour with Dulong,Nu and Lisu Minorities Culture Experience

Day 01 Arrival in Nujiang 

Sightseeing: Yuhuang Ge Pavilion, Taibao Mountain,Gaoli Gongshan Mountain, Nujiang River 

In the morning, take the flight to Baoshan City, visit Yuhuang Pavilion in Taibao Mountain. After lunch, drive about 3hours from Baoshan to Liuku(120KM), the county seat of Nujiang Lisu and Pumi Nationalities Autonomous Prefecture.

In the afternoon, you will walk around Liuku Town, visit Nujiang River and Nujiang River Bridge.

-- The Nujiang River is China's important river flowing from north to south. It has its source on the southern slope of the Tanggula Mountain Range in Tibet Autonomous Region, flowing across the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province, with a total length of 2,816 kilometers and a drainage area of 324,000 square kilometers.

The name of the river is changed into the Salween River after flowing into Burma from China, and it finally empties into the Andaman Sea of Indian Ocean at the Moulmein. The upper reaches of the river are known as the Naqu River in Tibetan. The river is called Anurimei by the Nu ethic minority, Anu is the name of the Nu people called by themselves, the Rimei means the river, so Anurimei means the river dwelled by the Nu people.

Day 02 Liuku-248KM-Gongshan (B+L+D)

Sightseeing: the Nujiang Grand Canyon

Drive from Liuku to Gongshan. On the way you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Nujiang Grand Canyon with Laohutiao Gorge, the Flying Stones and the Stone Moon.

The 247-kilometer-long Nujiang River Gorge is flanked by two 4,000-meter-high mountains. The mountain peaks on the two sides have an average altitude of over 3,000 kilometers. The gorge is located in Yunnan Province in southwestern China, an area rich in ethnic minority culture. It is now a first choice for many domestic and foreign travelers.

--The Dulong (also known as Drung) ethnic group is one of the smallest ethnic groups in China. With a total population of about 5,816 (data from the census in 2000), the Dulongs mainly live in the Dulong River Valley in the Gongshan Dulong and Nu Autonomous County in north-western Yunnan Province. There are also a small number of them, about 10 percent of the total, distributed in the areas along the Nujiang River in the north of Gongshan County.

Overnight in Gongshan

Day 03 Gongshan-Kongdang  (B+L+D)

It is 96 kilometers and 7 hours driving today with the rough road in the virgin forest.

--The Nu ethnic minority, numbering some 27,123 (by 1990), live mainly in Yunnan Province's Bijiang, Fugong, Gongshan and Lanping counties, which comprise the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture. Others are found in Weixi County in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The Nu people are mainly engaged in agriculture, but also hunt and gather wild plants. Their main crops include corn, buckwheat, barley, potatoes and beans. Some Nu people support themselves through cottage industries such as weaving, wine brewing, iron forging, etc.

Both men and women like drinking. They are especially adept at brewing wine. When a distinguished guest comes, they always entertain him with good wine. If they regard the guest as a bosom friend, they ask him to drink the "one-heart wine". Face to face, mouth to mouth, one hand on the other's shoulder, the host and the guest are to share the same cup of wine. The "one-heart wine" is a symbol of the Nu people's profound sentiments of friendship. A guest becomes their real friend only after he has drunk it.

Day 04 Kongdang-Bapo-Maku-Qinlangdang (B+L+D)

Drive about 30 kilometers southward to Maku Village. Leave the car in Maku Village and start a fantastic trekking trip to Dulongjiang River Region. You will see the Haba Waterfall from Maku Pass and then trek  along the virgin forest down to Qinlangdang Village. Arrive in Qinlangdang Village in the afternoon and trek about 1 kilometer to arrive at Haba Waterfall, here is the only way to Myanmay from Dulongjiang River. 

Note: There are lots of leeches in the virgin forest in summer, so you should take some medicine to keep them away.

Stay at Qinlangdang Village.

Day 05 Qinlangdang Village-Maku Village (B+L+D)

Trekking Distance: 15KM

Trek along the big slope in the virgin forest back to Maku.

Day 06 Maku-Bapo-Kongdang-Bukawa (B+L+D)

Drive along the rough road around 36KM to Kongdang.

Visit the scenery of Dulongjiang River, explore the Dulong ethnic culture in the villages, where you can see the last tattoo women in Dulong ethnic villages.

Visit Bukawa Village, a Dulong ethnic village.

Stay in Bukawa Village.

Day 07 Kongdang-Xianjiudang-Longyuan-Kongdang

Drive about 30KM to Longyuan Village, visit the original villages as well as the old tattoo women, if you want to take photos for them, you have to give the tips.

Come back to Kongdang.

Day 08 Kongdang-Gongshan

Drive 96KM back to Gongshan Derung and Nu Autonomous County.

It is also a long driving but with beautiful original forest.

--The Dulong (also known as Drung) ethnic group is one of the smallest ethnic groups in China. With a total population of about 5,816 (data from the census in 2000), the Dulongs mainly live in the Dulong River Valley in the Gongshan Dulong and Nu Autonomous County in north-western Yunnan Province. There are also a small number of them, about 10 percent of the total, distributed in the areas along the Nujiang River in the north of Gongshan County.

The Dulongs are animists and believed that all living creatures have souls. Believing evil spirits exist everywhere and can bring calamities to people, they often hold various rites to expel evil sprit at all costs. 

Now, some Dulong people are believers of Christianity.

Kaquewa Festival is the only New Year Festival of the Dulong ethnic group. It is held during the eleventh and twelfth lunar months. The exact date varies with the location and the duration of the celebration often lasts as long as the food does.

The most exciting activity during the festival is killing and sacrificing an ox. At the beginning of the ceremony, a sacrificial ox will be fastened onto the sacrificial pole by the presider. Then women will put a newly-woven carpet onto the back of the ox, hang a string of beads on its horns and say to the God of Hunting: "We present this ox to you and hope you will bestow us many, many animals". Everybody dances around it. A young man whose parents are both alive will be elected to kill the ox with a spear. The ox will be roasted after being killed. Everybody present at the festivities has a share. The celebration usually continues throughout the whole night and people will not leave until they enjoy themselves to their hearts' content.

Stay in Gongshan County.

Day 09 Gongshan- 44KM- Bingzhongluo (B+L)

Sightseeing: Bingzhongluo, Nujiang River (Salween River)

One full day excursion to Bingzhongluo, sightseeing includes the first bend of Nujiang River (Salween River), the stone house of the Nu Nationality, Peach Island, the Tibetan Puhua Temple. You will then have the chance to visit a minority household and experience the life of the local people. 

Overnight in Bingzhongluo

Day 10 Bingzhongluo-Liuku (B+L)

Sightseeing: Nujiang River (Salween River), Nujiang Grand canyon, Laomudeng Village

Leave Gongshan and drive 110 km through the fascinating mountain areas to Fugong. Sightseeing includes a visit to a suspension bridge and a glide cable. Special Lishu food will be served during dinner. In the evening you will take part in a party with the local people. 

Return to Liuku. Enjoy your last day at Nujiang Grand canyon and visit Laomudeng Village and the bathhouse of Lishu Nationality. It is a tradition to welcome new year that all people take a bath together in the open hot springs by the banks of the river. 

Overnight in Liuku

Day 11 Departure from Liuku Town

End the wonderful adventure tour of Nujiang Grand Canyon.

Transfer back to Kunming.

Service ends.