# Nujiang (Salween River) travel guide (怒江) Yunnan Province · Southwest, China · 9 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/yunnan/nujiang-salween-river ## The feel of the place - **Derung People:** Several ethnic groups, including the Lisu and Nu, live along the Nujiang (Salween) River, but the Derung people are the most distinctive. The Dulong River is their only home, and their way of life differs completely from the outside world. Because the area is so hard to reach, these traditions have been preserved intact. The tattoo patterns on Derung women's faces are striking and full of ethnic character. - **Majestic Beauty:** Compared with most of Yunnan, the Nujiang Gorge can rightly be called one of the world's most majestic canyons. Once you are inside the gorge, the low roar of the river and the steep, towering cliffs on either side will give you a visceral sense of nature's power. ## The feel of the place ### Lisu Gathering From the first to the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the Lisu hold the grand Zaotang Festival (Bathing Festival). It is the community's major gathering, which also features the exchange of goods and related celebrations, such as “bathing,” “swinging on swings,” and, in the evening, performances of “climbing knife ladders and walking on fire.” ### Local Specialties 1. Locals enjoy drinking. If you stay with a local family, it is best to make your drinking capacity clear in advance. 2. A local water liquor called chujiu (pestle wine) is available, at around 18% ABV. It tastes good but can easily make you tipsy. 3. Xiala and Gongla are two local signature dishes. In the Nu language, “la” means alcohol, so these are essentially “meat stir-fried with alcohol” and “egg stir-fried with alcohol.” They are spicy and can heat you up, so eat them in moderation. 4. Shiban baba (stone-slab flatbread) is another Nu specialty, and you can find it in Bingzhongluo. ### Travel Tips 1. You no longer need a border permit to travel to Liuku. You only need to show your ID card at the border checkpoint. 2. Border guards hand out leaflets with information on local travel agencies, guesthouses, reception points, and suggested routes. These are useful if it is your first trip to the Nujiang. 3. You must hire a car to explore the Nujiang Gorge, or your movements will be very restricted. 4. The Lisu Zaotang Festival is held in Dengen, 12 km from Liuku. 5. The Lisu no longer allow people to point cameras at them, and signs reading “No close-up photography” have been posted as a warning. 6. Tourism in the Nujiang is open-access, so there are no entrance tickets. 7. The morning mist is the most beautiful sight in the Nujiang Gorge and not to be missed, so be sure to get up early. 8. Admire the locals' cable crossings (sliding ropes) from a distance and do not try them yourself. They require skill, and a mistake could cost you your life in the river. ### Best Time and Place to See the Nujiang Climb Gongdang Sacred Mountain before 14:00. The best time to view the First Bend of the Nujiang is before the mountain's shadow falls over the river. Qiunatong is a small village surrounded by snow-capped peaks. The road has now been completed, and there is a reception point there. You can visit as a day trip or stay overnight in Qiunatong. ### Three Parallel Rivers The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas lie in the longitudinal valleys of the Hengduan Mountains, the southern extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in northwest Yunnan. The area includes the Nujiang and Diqing prefectures, parts of Lijiang and Dali, and borders Myanmar to the west and Sichuan and Tibet to the north. The site includes three scenic areas along the Nujiang, Lancang (Mekong), and Jinsha rivers, eight core scenic zones, and more than 60 scenic spots, covering over 3,500 square km. The three great rivers run in parallel for hundreds of kilometres through the longitudinal valleys of the northwest Yunnan Hengduan Mountains. At their closest point, the three rivers are just 66.3 km apart in a straight line. The Nujiang and Lancang are separated at their nearest point by only the 18.6 km-wide Nushan Mountains. Highlights include the Three Parallel Rivers themselves, snow-capped peaks, canyons and rapids, forest and snowfield landscapes, glacial lakes, alpine meadows, rare plants and animals, the spectacular Baishuitai (White Water Terraces), and unique ethnic cultures. ### Preparation and Information ### Language Mandarin is widely spoken, so you will have no communication problems. ### Climate and Best Seasons The Nujiang lies in a gorge, so its temperatures are higher than those of other areas at the same latitude, and winters are mild rather than severely cold. However, avoid the Nujiang during the rainy season from July to September. Road conditions are poor, and landslides and other accidents are common, which can disrupt your itinerary. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There The Nujiang is in western Yunnan, but it is only accessible by road. If you plan to visit, prepare yourself for long hours on long-distance buses and rough road conditions. You can travel directly from Kunming, or from Dali or Baoshan, both of which are closer to the Nujiang and have airports. From Kunming: Buses to the Nujiang run daily, usually overnight. You depart at night and arrive in the morning, a journey of 13 hours. It can be tiring. From Dali: Dali is 200 km from the Nujiang. A bus departs for the Nujiang every two hours from Dali Bus Station, a journey of about 5 hours. From Baoshan: Baoshan is 146 km from the Nujiang, a journey of about 3 hours. ### Getting Around The Nujiang is a narrow strip of land squeezed between the Biluo Snow Mountains and the Gaoligong Mountains, with the rushing Nujiang River running through the middle. Its main attractions are on the riverbanks, along with the ethnic minority villages and their traditional way of life. Hired cars are expensive. A 6-seat minivan typically costs ¥350–500 per day, not including the driver's meals and lodging, so plan your budget carefully. ### Bus Services Buses to Liuku run daily from Kunming's Xiyuan Bus Station. Note that buses do not run on the first and second days of the Spring Festival. Service resumes on the third day of the Lunar New Year. ## Eat & drink If you can adapt to Yunnan flavours, you should have no trouble with food in the Nujiang. - **Sanjiangyuan Farmhouse Restaurant** — Serves Nu specialties such as pipa pork. (No. 67, Bingzhongluo Street, Gongshan County Town, 0886-3581025) ## Nightlife In Fugong and Bingzhongluo, local communities hold events from time to time. Joining in the festivities with the ethnic minority residents is great fun. ## Shopping Crossbows are used for hunting by the Nu and Lisu people, and their arrows fly extremely fast. The best crossbows are deep-coloured, with a reddish or blackish tint. You can usually buy them at the Zaotang Festival. The Derung blanket is the everyday clothing of the Derung people. Its vivid colours make it highly decorative. Handwoven versions are usually expensive. You can buy them in Liuku and Gongshan. ## Where to stay Tourism in the Nujiang follows the river. The main overnight stops are Liuku, Fugong, Gongshan, and Bingzhongluo. In the first three, there are government guesthouses and similar accommodation. Prices are modest and standards vary, but finding a bed is never a problem. In Bingzhongluo, you will stay with local families. - **Gongshan Lanwan Boutique Hotel** — (50 m south of the Dulong River Road Police Station, 0886-3588888) ## Things to see - **Wuli Village** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 3–5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/wuli-village - **Qiunatong Village** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qiunatong-village - **Meili Highway Greenway** (★★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/meili-highway-greenway - **Zhiziluo** (★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zhiziluo - **Stone Moon (Shiyueliang)** (★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/stone-moon-shiyueliang - **Bingzhongluo** (★★★★★): Admission Free Open all day; Time needed 2–3 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/bingzhongluo - **Dulongjiang Gorge** (★★★★): Time needed 1–2 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/dulongjiang-gorge - **Biluo Snow Mountain** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/biluo-snow-mountain - **Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/gaoligongshan-national-nature-reserve --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 269–278. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.