Jiyi Gorge

The Jiyi Gorge(己衣大裂谷) is a rift valley in the north of Yunnan. Till resent the gorge was only accessible to goats and daredevils.Since a few years there is a path through the valley that passes over a rock in the middle of the gorge. The lowest point of the pass way is only halfway from the top to the bottom were a small creek passes.

The pass way at its lowest point where it crosses the gorge. It continues on the east side through a cut out in the rock face.

The pass way makes it possible for everybody who can climb and descent endless stairs to visit the gorge.

The gorge is so narrow and deep that only around midday the sun shines all the way to the bottom of the gorge. The changing light conditions make the gorge look different at different times of the day.

Only during the Golden weeks and during long weekends people visit the gorge. The rest of the time the place is nearly deserted.

Left and below: The enormous size of the gorge makes it necessary to use photo stitch software to get it all in one picture.

The south side of the Jiyi Gorge.

Route to school

The pass way crossing the gorge was not made for tourist but originally for the school children of the hamlets on the other side of the gorge. They can now attend a standard school instead of the old one class room fits all school that was used before.

Not only school children take the pass way but local villagers and their pack animals take this route as well.

Taking the passway twice a day must make these school children the most fit students of China.

View over the Jiyi rift valley gorge from Jiyi town. Even from nearby there is hardly any indication that there is such a deep gorge going through the middle of this picture.

Legend has it that during the Long March a group of Red Army soldiers passed the gorge and rested under a lonely tree. A memorial stone has been erected at the tree in 2014 telling the story. The tree is now protected by a wall depicting the Long Marchers and monkeys. Both have disappeared now.

The red circle on the picture below is around the lonely tree and the platform surrounding it. This gives a bit of an idea about how deep the Jiyi Gorge is.

Right: Stairway to school. And this is only a small part of it.

Below: The lowest point on the pass way is only halfway down the gorge.