Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest river canyons on earth — the Jinsha (upper Yangtze) thundering through a 3,900-metre slot between Jade Dragon and Haba snow mountains. The legend says a hunted tiger cleared the river in a single bound at its narrowest point; standing above it, you believe the tiger was motivated.
The two-day high trail is the best easy trek in China: a clear path through farm villages and walnut groves, guesthouses with hot showers and chilled beer at day’s end, and the gorge yawning below the whole way. The 28 Bends switchback climb on day one is the only genuinely hard stretch — start early and let the mules pass.