Tiger Leaping Gorge (Chinese: 虎跳峡) is a scenic canyon on the Jinsha River, a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River. It is located 60 kilometres north of Lijiang City, Yunnan in southwesternern China. It is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas World Heritage Site.
Legend says the name comes from a hunted tiger escaping by jumping across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 metres) wide), using the rock in the middle.
At a maximum depth of approximately 3,790 meters from river to mountain peak, Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world. The inhabitants of the gorge are primarily the indigenous Nakhi people.
Tiger Leaping Gorge, on the Jinsha River of the upper reaches of the Yangtze, is 17 kilometers long with a drop of 213 meters. Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into three sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Hutiao. At the narrowest spot the river is only 30 meters wide. The mouth of the gorge is 1,800 meters above sea level. The river is flanked by Yulong and Haba snow mountains, with a height difference of 3,900 meters.
