Scroll down for Complete Guide to Hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge

Complete Guide to Hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge

The van stopped at the foot of the mountain as several uniformed officers entered for passport checks. Hikers were then required to pay  ¥65 for an open-ended ticket to the trail (¥32.50 for hikers below the age of 25 with a student card).

Then on, it is an adventure waiting to be unfold.

Solo Hiking: Tiger Leaping Gorge

Hiking: Tiger Leaping Gorge

Located in the Yunnan province in southwest China, the trail to the Tiger Leaping Gorge starts at Qiaotou, a town at the foot of the Haba Snow Mountain. The trail takes a shortest time of 7 hours to complete. Otherwise, there are several inns along the way for those preferring to hike at a slower pace. Although considered one of the most popular hiking destination in China, the trail remains uncrowded and deserted on most days.

History

Legend has it that a tiger once leaped from Yulong Snow Mountain to Haba Snow Mountain by jumping on the huge rock in the centre of the river, among the rough rapids.

Tiger Leaping Gorge Features:

Trail distance: 30km (high path)
Duration: 7 hours to 3 days
Gorge depth: 3,790 meters (12,434 feet) from river to peak
Gorge length: 15 kilometres (9.3 mi)
Entrance fee: ¥65 (¥32.50 for students with valid IDs)
Accommodation: Halfway Guesthouse, Tea & Horse Guesthouse, Naxi Family Guesthouse, Come Inn, Five Fingers Mountain Guest House, Chateau de Woody, Tibet Guest House, Tina's Guesthouse

Hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge

Getting In

Bus from Lijiang (¥40, 2 hours), drop off at Qiaotou (entrance to the high path).
Every 30 minutes from 7am to 12pm.

Getting Out

Bus to Shangri-la (¥55) from Tina's Guesthouse at 3.30pm.
Bus to Lijiang and Daju available.

Warnings

• Do not attempt to hike the trail during winter/rainy season as rockslide is common. The best time is said to be in May, October and November.
• If you are hiking solo, note that the trail is usually empty and that the next town is located very far away so it will be challenging to find help should anything unfortunate happens.
• You will constantly be harassed by locals for fees, especially at areas closest to the gorge. If the amount is small, look at it as a donation to give back to the community.
• The most difficult part of the trail is located close to the starting point, known as the 28 Bends. It isn't really that difficult if you take it slow, but it is here that local men will pester you to take a ride on their donkeys or horses for a fee should you show the slightest sign of fatigue.

What to Bring

• There are guesthouses along the way, so water and light snacks should suffice.
• Sunscreen is always a good idea during summer.
• Skid-resistant shoes is a must.
• Cameras, with plenty of memory space.

Washroom at Halfway Guesthouse - voted the washroom with the best view in the world.

The river flowing through Tiger Leaping Gorge is between Yulong Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain

A woman selling marijuana and other essentials along the trail

Animals grazing freely along the trail

Map of Tiger Leaping Gorge (Click to enlarge) Source: travelchinaguide

Recipe: Sautéed Hake in Herbed Horseradish Sauce

Hake is widely regarded as one of the best fish in the whiting family. Its white flesh is soft when raw, but turns firm with a medium flake when cooked.

First time hearing of hake?

It can be intimidating to think of what you can do to an unfamiliar fish, but hake, in particular, isn't really that hard to figure out. Part of the cod family, it can be found frozen, smoked, fresh or salted in supermarket shelves - most commonly in the form of steaks. It is generally sweeter and more delicate compared to cod, and conventional ways of preparing this fish (as the Europeans do) would be grilling, baking, or by good old pan-fry. It handles robust flavors very well, so feel free to liberate those capers, paprika and horseradish powders from your kitchen jars!

Tips to buying hake: A good hake product is one with white flesh free from any sign of browning, grayness, and dryness.

I've recently gotten very inspired to cook, and this subsequently led me into creating a recipe for a fish dish that is effortless to prepare, delicious, and artful. The recipe calls for a quality hake steak, which I am using from Bonfisken Deli. Horseradish is the key constituent of the sauce - surprising your taste buds with an unexpected kick with every bite.

Hake steak from Bonfisken Deli

 

Recipe: Sautéed Hake in Herbed Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients:

For the fish

• Hake steak
• Butter, 2 tbs
• Oregano/sage, 2 sprigs

For the sauce

• Yogurt, 150g
• Prepared horseradish, 2 tbs
• Cilantro leaves from 2 sprigs
• Spinach, 1 cup
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Garlic, 5 cloves

Preparation:

For the fish

1. Sautée fish in hot butter for not more than 3 minutes on each side.
2. Remove from pan and place on a plate, along with hot oil.

For the sauce

1. Place horseradish, garlic, yogurt, spinach, cilantro, salt and pepper in blender. Blend until mixture is smooth.
2. Drizzle sauce around fish.

To serve, add garnish or green of choice.

Recipe: Sautéed Hake in Herbed Horseradish Sauce

This recipe is easy and simply delicious. Happy cooking!
For more recipes, click here.

Recipe: Wasabi Baked Green Mussels

Mussels bring me boundless joy.

They make a great addition to soups and pasta, yielding a slight salty yet ethereal oceany flavor. Sweet, tender and plump, mussels are loved not just for its distinctive taste but also for the high vitamin C, protein, iron and zinc contents.

While I love my meat fresh, mussels are an exception. I'd very much rather buy my shellfish from a box just to save me all the hassle of having to clean and pry them open. For this recipe, I am using Talley's Greenshell Mussels from New Zealand which have been thoughtfully scrubbed, debearded, and ready to cook.

To prepare this simple dish of bivalve, I am using a wasabi-infused mayonnaise-based sauce which is then filled into the shells - just enough to completely cover the meat. They are then left to bake until they bubble, before being served on a plate to grace a dining table.

Related: Mussels in Fragrant Thai-Style Broth

Talley's Greenshell Mussels

Recipe: Wasabi Baked Green Mussels

Ingredients

Talley's Greenshell Mussels, 1 box/30oz
Fish roe, 2 tbs
Mayonnaise, 180g
Yogurt, 150g
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon juice, 2 tbs
Lemon zest, 1 tbs
Wasabi, 2 tbs
Sesame oil, 1tbs

To garnish
Spring onions
Lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, wasabi, and sesame oil in a mixing bowl.
2. Fill shells with sauce, just enough to completely cover the meat.
3. Sprinkle fish roe over mussels.
4. Bake mussels in preheated oven in 350°F until they bubble and turn slightly brown.
5. Serve with chopped spring onions and lemon wedges.

Recipe: Wasabi Baked Green Mussels

For more recipes, click here.

List of Restaurants & Cafés in Empire Damansara

Aussie Roll

Sushi rolls, salads, hot food
Halal
Ground Floor, Lot 7
Opening hours: 10.00am-10.00pm daily

Avenue Bistro

Mamak
Halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 24 hours

Boat Noodle

Thai-style noodles, rice, and snacks
Halal
Ground Floor, Lot 11
Opening hours: 11.00am-9.00pm

Bungkus

Korean fusion food
Halal
First Floor
Opening hours: 10.00am-10.00pm

Burger Junkyard

Homemade gourmet burgers
Halal
Ground Floor, Lot 23
Opening hours: 12.00pm-9.45pm

Carpe Diem

Korean food, pasta, pizza
Non-Halal
Ground Floor, Lot 23
Opening hours: 12.00pm-9.45pm

Cat In The Box

Coffee, cakes, and hot food
Halal
First Floor, Lot 11
Opening hours: 11.00am-10.00pm

Destino Caffe

Western and Asian food, coffee
Halal
Ground Floor, Lot 11
Opening hours: 10.00am-10.00pm

Epique Coffee Company

Coffee, dessert
Halal
Ground Floor, Lot 21
Opening hours: 9.00am-10.00pm

 

Haraju-Cube

Specialty toasts, coffee, tea
Halal
First Floor
Opening hours: 11.00am-11.00pm

Jekyll & Hyde

Restaurant and bar
Non-halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 11.00am-12.00am

 

Koru Cafe

Coffee, sandwiches
Halal
First Floor, Lot 25
Opening hours: 9.00am-7.00pm

 

Lobbee Thai Connection

Thai fusion food
Halal
Lower Ground Floor
Opening hours: 11.00am-10.00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Metal Box Restaurant & Cafe

Hot food, desserts
Halal
Ground Floor, Lot 12
Opening hours: 10.00am-10.00pm

Nomad at Empire

Hot food, dessert, coffee
Halal
First Floor, Lot 16
Opening hours: 11.00am-12.00am

Novi Jazz 

Restaurant, bar, lounge
Non-Halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 12.00pm-10.00pm

Ramen Kanbe

Japanese ramen, snacks
Non-Halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 11.30pm-10.00pm

San Nae Deul

Korean BBQ, beer
Non-Halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 11.00pm-10.00pm

Sip Wine & Bar

Beer, wine buffet, hot food
Non-Halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 5.00pm-1.00am

Seven Cups

Coffee, waffles
Halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 11.00am-11.00pm

The Bar Kinugawa

Specialty cocktails
Non-Halal
First Floor
Opening hours: 7.00pm-2.00am

Tous les Jours

Bakery
Halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 8.30am-10.00pm

Zenjo

Japanese fusion food, sushi
Non-Halal
Ground Floor
Opening hours: 11.00am-11.00pm

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Apsara: The Traditional Cambodian Dance

No trip to Cambodia is complete without a glimpse of the traditional Apsara dance performance.

An Apsara dancer dressed in a Sampot Sarabap and a golden headdress

An Apsara dancer performing at dinner show

Apsara is performed by a group of young women in a flawlessly harmonized orientation. Every unhurried and deliberate movement is accentuated by a subtle bend in the knees with the heels elevated and lowered to the ground with each beat. A constant smile is attached to their faces, as they graciously flaunt their well-mastered elegance to awestruck audiences. The recurrent hand gestures throughout the performance give prominence to the dance, with each motion and shift denoting different parts of the story.

Apsara: The Traditional Cambodian Dance

New Dishes & Omakase at Minori Japanese Restaurant, Royale Chulan Damansara

New Dishes & Omakase at Minori Japanese Restaurant

Minori has recently introduced a range of additions to its menu for a unique Japanese gastronomic experience with a touch of modernity in flavors and presentation:

Yum Tofu & Grilled Seasoning Eggplant with crab sauce ginger fervor & mountain caviar

Steamed Egg on Organic Wasabi Leaf & Asari Shell "Ohitashi" Yuzu Orange Flavor

White Miso Marinated Butter Fish "Saikyo Yaki" served with vinegar tomato, wasabi lotus root, and sweet potato

Scallop Porridge Minori Style with fried cherry blossom prawns

Tender Steamed Beef Tongue with special sauce

Wide Variety of Sakes

Minori wows its patrons with a wide array of imported Sakes which are uniquely set apart by the aroma, taste, feel and finish. Recommendations by the restaurant include:

Kikusui Junmai Ginjo

Kikusui Funaguchi

Sakamai Kikusui Junmai Daiginjo (left)

The Saikyo Yaki (miso-marinated butter fish) is my personal favorite. Fish is cooked to perfection while maintaining its firm yet flaky tenderness, giving it a melt-in-the-mouth texture. The accompanying sides of vinegar tomato, wasabi lotus root, and sweet potato might seem meager, but every small bite is packed with surprisingly refreshing and intense tastes that go exquisitely with the fish. Each side offers a different flavor - sweet, sour, and salty - and alternating between them is truly a pleasure to the senses.

Additional Information

• A VIP room which seats up to 30 people is available (no minimum spending required)
• 20% off Omakase & Chef’s monthly recommendation for Maybank MasterCard & Visa Card holders
• 50% off Omakase with a minimum spend of RM500 per pax for Maybank World MasterCard & Visa Infinite card holders

Minori Japanese Restaurant
Website | +603 7959 9099
The Royale Chulan Damansara Hotel
1st Floor, No. 2  Jalan PJU 7/3 Mutiara Damansara

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