Since two days we are in Yunnan, a region in the southeast of Tibet, much lower and with more summer temperatures. After a night in Deqin, home of the sacred mountain Meili, we went to Shangri-La, where the Tibetan guide greeted us. We continued in Baishuitai National Park, 150 km of green valleys and curves, so many curves, to get to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. At a maximum depth of about 3,790 meters from the river to the mountain peak, Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest canyons with river and most spectacular in the world. The inhabitants of the gorge are primarily the indigenous Naxi people, who live in a handful of small villages. Their primary subsistence comes from grain production and hikers, foreign as well as Chinese.

We then moved from Lijiang, listed as UNESCO World Heritage.

The history, the architecture of Lijiang and culture differ greatly from those of other Chinese cities, mainly due to the presence of the Naxi people. This ethnic group, speaking a language of the Tibeto-Burmese family has preserved the integrity of their own culture.