Crouching Tiger, Hidden Yunnan
(click on the pictures to see more detail)
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One of the famous tourist regions in Yunnan province
is the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Myth has it that the gorge is so steep, and
the opposing mountains so close, that a tiger once made it from one side
to the other with a single leap. No one believes it, but the spectacular
scenery is enough to draw people from all over China, and especially from
nearby Lijiang. |
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We didn't see any leaping tigers. We didn't even see
any people. Sometimes it is hard to believe that there are 1,300,000,000
people in China. Like middle-class Americans, middle-class Chinese are
eager tourists. But like their American counterparts, they're more likely
to go on an organized tour than to wander aimlessly in the mountains. |
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We're not exactly mountaineers ourselves. We stuck to
the well traveled routes, and ignored the occasional trails leading off
towards the peaks. Other than the goats, I don't know who took those paths.
We saw a couple of signs for guest houses somewhere up in the mist, but
the business there must be light. |
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Part of what makes Yunnan interesting is the variety
of cultures that can be found with the province borders. The borders are
actually quite arbitrary, and people and cultures cross them without regard
for political distinctions. Northwestern Yunnan is part of a region know
as Kham, which includes (to the north) much of western Sichuan and (to
the west) Tibet. This collection of grasses and flags is a very common
devotional display for the region's Buddhists, who make up the majority
of the population. Atheistic Communism has had little long-lasting influence
in these parts. |
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